As Trump threatens to strike Iran if the authorities move to kill protesters, Tehran has relied on Iraqi militias loyal to it to help suppress demonstrations that erupted across the country on December 28, 2025, sparked by a sharp economic downturn.

In a fresh escalation on Iraq’s crowded political stage, Iran-linked militias have launched a fierce campaign against the U.S. president’s envoy to Baghdad, Mark Savaya, going as far as issuing direct threats.

In a move that sent political shockwaves through Iraq, the Official Gazette published a decision listing Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi group as terrorist organizations, a step the Iraqi central bank later walked back, calling it an “unintentional mistake.”

During the electoral campaign, public statements from figures linked to Iran-backed armed factions praised al-Halbousi and urged Sunni voters to support him, while warning against voting for the Iraqi Sovereignty Alliance.

Before Iraq’s elections, Washington made no secret of its desire to keep militias away from both the political and security arenas, arguing that their presence strengthens Iranian influence in the country.