Iran deployed covert Iraq drone cells to target Gulf states: Report

Baghdad: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) established covert cells in Iraq to carry out drone attacks on Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces, bypassing traditional militia networks to avoid detection, according to eight Iraqi sources cited by Reuters.

The sources said three or four cells, each comprising about 10 elite Iraqi Shi'ite fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks between April 20 and May 17 from desert areas near Basra and Samawa. The strikes reportedly targeted sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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While some members were drawn from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned militias, the new units allegedly operated outside its command structure and reported directly to the IRGC.

The move reflects what analysts and militia commanders described as a shift in Iranian strategy, aimed at maintaining regional influence while limiting exposure as Tehran's traditional proxy network faces mounting military and financial pressure.

The report comes as some major Iraqi Shi'ite factions signal a willingness to disarm and focus on domestic politics under pressure from Washington. Two groups, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades, recently announced plans to hand over weapons to state authorities.

The U.S.-Iran interim pact signed this week does not address Tehran's support for regional armed groups. Washington continues to press Baghdad to dismantle Iran-linked militias operating outside state control.

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According to the sources, the newly formed cells carried out at least three attacks targeting Kuwait and two each against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims. Iraqi officials are investigating whether some of the attacks, including a May 17 drone strike linked to the UAE and incursions into Saudi airspace, originated from Iraqi territory.