IRGC's Covert Iraqi Drones
IRGC Forms Covert Iraqi Cells to Launch Drone Attacks on U.S.-Linked Gulf Targets
Key Points
A retired Iraqi army general, Jasim al-Bahadli, told Reuters the IRGC’s newly formed groups “appear smaller, more ideologically hardened and more tightly controlled,” describing a qualitative change from existing proxy networks.
Reuters reported the alleged seven drone attacks were distributed as three strikes targeting Kuwait, two against Saudi Arabia, and two aimed at the UAE.
The reporting noted that several powerful Shi’ite factions in Iraq had been signaling since last year that they were ready to disarm and focus on domestic politics to avoid escalation with the Trump administration—an apparent factor behind the IRGC creating cells under direct Iranian control.
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the accounts of the drone attacks described by Iraqi sources.
On the US-Iran interim agreement, Iranian officials indicated Tehran’s support for “resistance groups” is not open for discussion, with the article framing the issue as excluded from the accord.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has quietly built new secret cells in Iraq to launch drone strikes on Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces, according to Reuters. The cells, each made up of about 10 elite Iraqi Shi'ite fighters, have carried out at least seven drone attacks between April 20 and May 17, targeting Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The move is a deliberate break from Iran's usual playbook. Instead of using large, established militia networks, the IRGC built small units that report directly to Iranian commanders. The goal, sources told Reuters, is to stay hidden and keep striking even as Iran's traditional proxy forces have been weakened by war and political pressure.
Small, Secret Cells Replace Weakened Proxy Networks
The IRGC formed three or four of these units, bypassing the broader Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella entirely. Some fighters have ties to that umbrella group, but the cells operate outside its command structure. Retired Iraqi army general Jasim al-Bahadli told Reuters the new groups "appear smaller, more ideologically hardened and more tightly controlled" than Iran's previous proxy networks.
The shift is driven by necessity. Several powerful Shi'ite factions in Iraq, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades, have been signaling since last year that they want to disarm and focus on domestic politics, according to The Times of Israel. To keep its regional strike capability alive, Tehran went around them entirely.
Seven Drone Strikes Hit Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE
The seven alleged attacks broke down as three strikes on Kuwait, two on Saudi Arabia, and two on the UAE, according to Al-Monitor. Targets included Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base and a military terminal at Kuwait International Airport. On May 17, a drone hit the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE, sparking a fire at an external electrical generator, WION reported.
On May 30, debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile struck Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, injuring five American personnel and destroying two MQ-9 Reaper drones worth roughly $30 million each, according to The Jerusalem Post. Reuters stressed it could not independently verify the accounts of the drone attacks described by Iraqi sources.
Attacks Fall Outside U.S.-Iran Peace Deal's Reach
The strikes are unfolding even as the U.S. and Iran signed a 14-point interim agreement on June 17 to formally end hostilities from the 2026 war. President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the deal in Versailles. But the accord does not cover Tehran's support for regional armed groups, leaving a major security gap, i24 News reported.
New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei made Tehran's position clear on June 18. He authorized the 60-day negotiation window but stressed that protecting the "Resistance Front" is a red line, according to Iran International. Iranian officials have said support for "resistance groups" is simply not up for discussion in the talks.
Iraq Lacks Power to Shut Down Iran-Backed Cells
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to establish a "monopoly over arms" and is investigating the May attacks alongside Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to Arab News. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met with al-Zaidi to demand the full disarmament of all groups operating outside state control. The State Department has called on Iraq to take "immediate measures to dismantle" all tools of Iranian destabilization.
But experts are skeptical. Analyst Lawk Ghafuri told The New Arab that the Iraqi state likely lacks the "capability and political space" to dissolve these entrenched groups. The IRGC's shift to small-cell warfare also makes detection harder, likely forcing Gulf states to adopt new air defense strategies focused on persistent surveillance of desert launch sites near Basra and Samawa.
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