Iran's Revolutionary Guard Forms Secret Cells in Iraq to Target US Bases

Sources in Iraq have revealed that Iran's Revolutionary Guard has created new secret cells within the country to carry out attacks on US military bases in the region.

According to eight Iraqi sources cited by Reuters, the Revolutionary Guard bypassed its armed militia networks in Iraq when forming these secret cells to avoid detection.

Three of these sources reported that between April 20 and May 17, three or four cells, each consisting of around ten elite Iraqi Shia fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks from desert locations near the southern cities of Basra and Samawah targeting sites in the area.

Some members of these cells belong to the so-called "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," a coalition of hardline Shia factions comprising thousands of fighters.

However, these new groups operate outside the command structure of the coalition and report directly to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to sources who told Reuters. These sources include two Iraqi military officials, one security official, and five leaders of local armed groups.

Shift in Tactics and Secrecy

The five leaders from armed groups stated that the formation of these previously undisclosed cells in Iraq signifies a shift in the Revolutionary Guard's methods aimed at preserving Iran's influence in the region. This comes as pro-Iranian militias experience significant weakening and depletion of their military and economic resources.

Iraq hosts numerous armed factions, many of which maintain close ties with Tehran. These factions form a core part of the so-called regional "Resistance Axis" allied with Iran, spanning from Gaza and Lebanon to Yemen and Iraq.

Groups operating under the banner of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" have claimed responsibility for dozens of drone and rocket attacks targeting American interests in Iraq. These attacks have prompted deadly airstrikes in response since the United States and Israel began their campaign against Iran on February 28.

Despite these hostilities, there has been no large-scale mobilization of Iran-aligned groups within Iraq's borders.

Several influential Shia factions in Iraq have indicated since last year their readiness to disarm and focus on domestic politics to avoid escalating conflict with the administration of US President Donald Trump.