Will Biden’s Syria Airstrike Deter Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq?

These Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are Iranian proxies and have consistently targeted U.S. personnel, and military and diplomatic sites in Baghdad’s Green Zone in recent years. Following the targeted killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, Tehran’s proxies escalated their attacks significantly. In February alone, three attacks that can be attributed to Iranian proxies targeted the U.S. presence in Iraq. On February 16, rocket fire near Erbil killed one U.S. civilian contractor and wounded five others. One week later, three rockets landed near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, causing minor property damage.

Although Biden’s decision to attack Iranian-proxies in Syria was criticized by some Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the president was steadfast in his position that the airstrikes were consistent with the U.S right to self-defense. Biden later warned Iran to tread carefully, cautioning that the regime “can’t act with impunity.”

The Syria operation shows Biden is willing to use force to defend American lives. However, this operation appears to be an anomaly when considering what we know about Biden’s current Iran policy. Reentering the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran remains a top priority for Biden. Tehran knows this and has taken advantage of the leverage this issue has given it over the new U.S. administration.

Since the onset of Biden’s presidency, Iran has threatened to slash International Atomic Energy Agency inspections, produced dangerous levels of uranium-metal that could be used for bombs, and seized a South Korean tanker in an attempt to press Seoul to release billions of dollars in frozen assets. In addition to these provocations, Iran has directed its region-wide proxies to conduct attacks targeting American interests in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria.