Two US congressmen introduced the “Free Iraq from Iran” bill this week, to diminish Tehran’s influence in Baghdad and to support its independence.
“Grateful to introduce this bipartisan bill with colleague Jimmy Panetta (D-CA),” Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) wrote on his X account.
The new bill says that in 180 days, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Secretary of the Treasury, and the CEO of the US Agency for Global Media, shall develop and submit to Congress a strategy to support the efforts of the Iraqi people in countering Iran in Iraq and countering Iranian backed puppet militias in Iraq.
This strategy shall include a description of efforts to dismantle all Iran-backed puppet militias in Iraq, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and to end US security assistance to the Iraqi government until Iraq removes Iranian-backed puppet militias from its security forces.
The bill also calls on providing support to Iraqi civil society actors and opposition groups to enhance their security and operational capabilities, and to expand and enhance American broadcasting efforts in Iraq to uncover war crimes and corruption of Iranian backed puppet militias in Iraq.
Several Iraqi circles, including members of the Coordination Framework, said Wilson's bill will not secure a majority of votes in Congress. However, they feared the undesirable consequences of any US strikes on Iran, especially as Tehran has lately started to abandon its allies in the region.
Last month, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Iran does not have any proxy forces in the region.
On Thursday, The Telegraph wrote that Iran has ordered military personnel to leave Yemen, abandoning its Houthi allies as the US escalates an airstrike campaign against the group.
Senior Iraqi pro-government officials are concerned about a potential conflict between Washington and Tehran and have argued with their opponents about how to prepare for such possible war.
Iraq will be the first to suffer from such conflict, the officials said.
In return, pro-Iranian Iraqi officials say a regional war will not have major repercussions on their country. They say some political forces were using such assumptions as part of their campaigns to prepare for the general elections scheduled later this year.
Threatening US Bases
Meanwhile, Najaf-based Iraqi Shiite cleric Sadr al Din al Qabanji warned that US bases in Iraq are within the striking range of Iran and Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.
During his Friday sermon, Qabanji urged US President Donald Trump not to start or threaten war, referring to Trump’s threat to bomb Iran if Iran does not agree to a new nuclear deal.
Amid the escalating tension between Washington and Tehran and the ongoing US strikes on Houthis in Yemen, the Pentagon said it has reinforced US military capability in the Middle East with more warplanes.
On Monday, Khamenei ruled out any foreign attack on this country but said the US would receive a strong blow if Trump followed through with his threats.
“The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,” Khamenei said.
On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammed Shia Al-Sudani said his government has preserved Iraq’s stability through wise and responsible leadership, preventing the country from being dragged into regional conflict.
He added that some impulsive voices called for Iraq to engage in war and conflict. “Iraq’s and the Iraqi people’s interests are our top priority. There is no room for compromise, whether with internal or external actors,” the PM said.
