SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – A group of US lawmakers has called on the Trump administration to take a tougher stance against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, arguing that continued US aid is inadvertently strengthening groups linked to Tehran.
In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, the lawmakers highlighted concerns over Iranian influence within Iraq’s security forces.
Grateful to co-lead this letter with @RepGregSteube and 10 other Members of Congress to @SecRubio and @michaelgwaltz asking for the designation of Badr as a terrorist org along with all other Iranian militias in Iraq.
Trump will fix it! pic.twitter.com/kGJRYwX4nh
— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) February 7, 2025
They pointed to reports that groups such as the Badr Organization and other militia groups operate under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while maintaining official status within Iraq’s security apparatus.
A letter signed by several members of Congress calls for three key actions: designating multiple Iran-backed militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, imposing sanctions on them, and halting US security assistance to Iraq while these militias remain part of its state security forces, funded and trained by the government of Iraq.
The lawmakers argue that past US policies, including cooperation with these militias in the fight against ISIS, have backfired, leading to repeated attacks on American troops.
They warn that without decisive action, Iran’s influence in Iraq will continue to undermine US interests in the region.
The letter was signed by members of Congress Joe Wilson, W. Gregory Steube, James R. Baird, and several others, underscoring growing concerns in Congress over US policy in Iraq.