The Tribal Council’s mobilisation appeal marks a rare public challenge to Baghdad’s official policy of neutrality amid escalating conflict in neighbouring Syria. [Getty]
In a significant escalation in cross-border rhetoric, the Unified Tribal Council of Iraq and Basra convened a protest late Tuesday demanding the Iraqi government in Baghdad mobilise volunteer fighters to fight against the Syrian army. The council cited recent sectarian violence targeting Alawi communities in Syria and growing regional instability as justification for its call to arms.
During a press conference in Basra, council spokesman Ali al-Salim outlined a series of demands directed at the central government: open recruitment of volunteers; expanded support for the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF); enact a formal retirement service law for militia members; and enhance security screening for Syrian nationals residing in Iraq.
The council also urged Iraqi authorities to sever any engagement with Syria’s de facto leadership under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham chief, Ahmad al-Sharaa and to pursue legal action against political figures accused of fomenting sectarian discord.
Kurdish political analyst Yassin Taha told The New Arab, “This is part of a back plan by Shia parties that cannot openly express their opposition to the new Syrian administration given its Arab, Turkish and international backing. They are exploiting tribal networks to replicate clashes seen in Lebanon between Hezbollah supporters and Syrian forces. Baghdad aims to signal to Damascus that tolerating Islamic State activity along their shared border could prompt Iraq to deploy tribal militias as a bargaining chip.”
In a related security escalation, sources close to Iran-aligned armed factions told Al Araby Al Jadeed—TNA‘s Arabic-language sister publication—that over the past week, major nighttime relocations and site swaps have been conducted at Iran-aligned militia headquarters, weapons depots, and senior leadership residences across eight Iraqi provinces: Diyala, Anbar, Saladin, Babylon, Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, and Al Muthanna.
Kata’ib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl al Haq, Harakat al Nujaba and Saraya al Khorasani were among those reportedly moving arms workshops, vehicles and ammunition stores to more dispersed, hard-to-target locations. Operations were carried out under strict secrecy with logistical coordination from the Iraqi army, which secured key transport routes without direct intervention.
Analysts interpret these precautionary measures as a response to warnings from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein that Israel intends to strike militia positions within Iraq—threats reportedly blocked by the United States—and as evidence of growing US pressure on Baghdad to rein in Iran-aligned groups. US concerns centre on the militias’ possession of long-range drones and cruise missiles, previously employed in attacks on Israeli territory and US military installations in Iraq, notably Al-Asad Airbase in Anbar and Harir Base in Erbil.
In a telephone call on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani reassured US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth of Iraq’s commitment to protect international coalition advisers and reiterated that only the state retains the authority to use force. A subsequent statement from the Iraqi military asserted there is currently no immediate security threat to Iraqi territory and emphasised that its forces remain at full readiness to counter any external aggression.
The Tribal Council’s mobilisation appeal marks a rare public challenge to Baghdad’s official policy of neutrality amid escalating conflict in neighbouring Syria. Observers warn that encouraging volunteer deployments risks drawing Iraq deeper into the Syrian theatre, potentially destabilising fragile internal security and complicating Baghdad’s balancing act between Tehran, Washington and regional capitals.
