Iran's Revolutionary Guards form new Iraqi cells

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has established three or four new covert cells inside Iraq, each made up of roughly ten elite Iraqi Shi'ite fighters, to conduct drone attacks on Gulf countries that host American forces. The cells launched at least seven drone strikes from desert sites near Basra and Samawa against targets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between April 20 and May 17, according to three of the eight Iraqi sources who spoke to Reuters.

IRGC tactics The new groups draw some members from Islamic Resistance in Iraq but report directly to the IRGC rather than to the umbrella militia network, the sources said. Five militia commanders described the move as an effort to preserve Iran's regional reach while its established proxies are weakened and its own resources are strained.

Iraqi officials said the IRGC turned to the smaller cells to maintain plausible deniability and reduce pressure on Baghdad to disarm larger Iran-aligned factions.

Attacks and targets Targets included Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base and a military terminal at the country's international airport, the sources said. Attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were intercepted. Iraqi authorities are investigating whether a May 17 drone attack that caused a fire at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant originated from one of the new cells.

Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones that entered its airspace from Iraq the same day.

Iranian presidents signed an interim agreement on Wednesday to end the war, but the deal does not address Tehran's support for proxy groups. Iranian officials have stated that backing for resistance groups remains off the table. Iraq's new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack discussed plans for the complete disarmament of armed groups operating outside state control during a Monday meeting, according to a joint statement.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates summoned Iraq's envoys in April to protest the strikes. Zaidi condemned the attacks as criminal acts and pledged a joint inquiry with the Gulf states. The U.S. State Department reiterated expectations that Iraq's government take immediate measures to dismantle Iran's destabilizing activities inside the country.