By Noureddine Omar | 2026-06-05

Iraqi authorities formally launched an investigation into drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Accusations strongly suggest the involvement of armed militias maintaining clear loyalty to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

On May 17, a drone strike ignited a large fire near the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the UAE.

The UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed that these offensive drones were launched from deep within sovereign Iraqi territory.

The Iraqi Ministerial National Security Council met on May 20, demanding a critical investigation into the attacks launched from Iraqi soil.

Council members warned legal action would be rigorously pursued against those involved should the grave allegations prove definitively true.

Baghdad strongly reiterated its categorical rejection of using Iraqi territory to target neighboring Arab and regional states.

"Near-certain intelligence strongly implicates the involvement of Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces factions [Hashd al-Shaabi]," Sheyar Turko, an expert on the IRGC told Al-Fassel.

Such hostile acts severely heighten regional tensions and create an extremely insecure operating environment in the Middle East.

These armed groups effectively hold Iraqi decision-making hostage for the IRGC, excluding other constituent groups.

This exclusion targets Sunnis, Kurds, and moderate Shia groups seeking positive relations with the United States and Western nations.

Turko noted "the Iraqi government is determined to resolve the issue of these dangerous militias due to the inherent threat they pose."

They continuously seek to attack United States bases and coalition forces operating in both Iraq and Syria.

These bases house advanced surveillance platforms capable of accurately detecting the militias' subversive actions and movements.

Indeed, the militias' attacks aim to force all Western forces to completely withdraw from these strategic regional bases.