عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraq: Iran Seeks to Fill Vacuum Left by US Forces’ Withdrawal

The US announcement of reducing the number of troops in Iraq raised security fears. (Photo: Reuters)
The US announcement of reducing the number of troops in Iraq raised security fears. (Photo: Reuters)
TT
TT

Iraq: Iran Seeks to Fill Vacuum Left by US Forces’ Withdrawal

The US announcement of reducing the number of troops in Iraq raised security fears. (Photo: Reuters)
The US announcement of reducing the number of troops in Iraq raised security fears. (Photo: Reuters)

The decision to reduce the number of US troops deployed in Iraq raised fears that Iran could exploit the vacuum to extend its complete control over the Iraqi street, in addition to concerns over the possibility of ISIS reviving its sleeper cells to carry out more operations in the country.

Senior Iraqi military officials in Baghdad said that the withdrawal of 500 US soldiers from Iraq would not have a major impact on the security; but some political leaders - especially from the Sunni and Kurdish circles – expressed concern that reducing the number of US troops in Iraq, if followed by further withdrawals, would affect the region’s security and political balance.

Christopher Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense, announced on Nov. 17 that the United States would reduce the number of its troops from 3,000 to 2,500 by Jan. 15, 2021.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, MP Mohammed Nuri Abd-Rabbu, deputy for the Nineveh governorate, said: “The US forces in Iraq have superior technologies, such as thermal cameras, drones, satellite images, etc., that enable them to monitor any movements of ISIS and prevent planned terrorist operations.”

Regarding the impact of the US forces’ withdrawal of American troops on the Iraqi political arena, Abd-Rabbu said: “Everyone knows that there are two forces controlling Iraq, namely the US and Iran; the decrease in the American forces will inevitably lead to strengthening the Iranian power, which controls a large part of Iraq, like Nineveh, Anbar and Salah al-Din.”

Security sources have stressed the possibility of Iran, through its proxies in Iraq, to carry out targeted operations against US interests in the country, in response to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, by US forces last year.

“Intelligence information indicates that loyalist factions in the Popular Mobilization Forces are planning to carry out operations targeting US interests on the anniversary of the killing of the Iranian (Revolutionary Guard) commander, Qassem Soleimani,” the sources said, noting that Iran also wanted to respond indirectly to the killing of the Iranian nuclear scientist Tahseen Fakhrizadeh.

For his part, Major General Bakhtiar Ali, a counselor at the Peshmerga Ministry, said that the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq would have a direct impact on the role of the international coalition forces against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and would negatively affect the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga, in the fight against the terrorist group.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Yemeni Leadership Moves to Overcome Shock of Losing West Coast

An internally displaced (IDP) Yemen, one of many who fled their homes due to renewed clashes between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi group, sits in his shelter in the al-Kadha area of the Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen on September 6, 2026. (AFP)
An internally displaced (IDP) Yemen, one of many who fled their homes due to renewed clashes between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi group, sits in his shelter in the al-Kadha area of the Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen on September 6, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Yemeni Leadership Moves to Overcome Shock of Losing West Coast

An internally displaced (IDP) Yemen, one of many who fled their homes due to renewed clashes between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi group, sits in his shelter in the al-Kadha area of the Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen on September 6, 2026. (AFP)
An internally displaced (IDP) Yemen, one of many who fled their homes due to renewed clashes between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi group, sits in his shelter in the al-Kadha area of the Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen on September 6, 2026. (AFP)

The Yemeni leadership is moving to deal with the loss suffered by government forces on the west coast as a painful field setback, but one that should not become a turning point in the conflict with the Houthi group.

The government and Presidential Leadership Council are, meanwhile, seeking to rearrange forces and regain the initiative, while containing the humanitarian consequences of displacement and maintaining the operation of state institutions.

PLC member and Governor of Marib Sultan Al-Aradah said the developments on the west coast are "painful and regrettable," but are part of wars that witness advances and retreats.

The developments will not deflect from the main goal, he added.

In remarks carried by state media, he said the forces that withdrew from the coast are rearranging their ranks and will return to the battle "in one way or another."

Field developments on the west coast had forced government troops to redeploy after losing positions and areas, amid a broad Houthi escalation. The developments led to new waves of displacement, while a number of military personnel relocated to Marib, where Al-Aradah said authorities had prepared a camp for them and made arrangements to secure their needs.

Al-Aradah's remarks reveal that the Yemeni leadership is attempting to shift the handling of the west coast loss from a state of field shock to restoring combat capability.

This approach aligns with what Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zandani put forward during a cabinet meeting in the interim capital Aden, when he stressed that the difficult developments over the past days should not be understood as an end to the confrontation.

He stressed that battles are not measured by the outcome of a single day or a change in a position, but rather by the state's ability to reorganize its efforts, mobilize its resources, support its forces, maintain the cohesion of its institutions, and regain the initiative.

It appears that the Yemeni leadership's priority in the coming phase centers on rearranging the forces that withdrew from the coast and reintegrating them into operations, alongside elevating government support for the armed and security forces.

The cabinet confirmed that it reviewed a report from the minister of defense regarding the military situation across various fronts, operational readiness levels, and requirements, while underlining the need to boost the forces' capacity to confront the escalation and regain the initiative.

In Marib, Al-Aradah said that the governorate's forces are focused on victory and supporting various fronts, noting that the ultimate goal in the fighting, in Marib and elsewhere, remains the liberation of the capital, Sanaa, from the Houthis.

The forces and commanders on the ground bear a historic responsibility to defend the state and national dignity, he said.

Arab World

Tareq Saleh’s Forces Accuses Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of Guiding Assault on Yemen’s West Coast

Smoke rises during clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthis (Reuters)
Smoke rises during clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthis (Reuters)
TT
TT

Tareq Saleh’s Forces Accuses Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of Guiding Assault on Yemen’s West Coast

Smoke rises during clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthis (Reuters)
Smoke rises during clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthis (Reuters)

In its first statement since losing extensive positions on Yemen's west coast, the government’s National Resistance revealed the cost of a month-long battle against the Houthis. It accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional allies of providing direct support and managing the offensive, which culminated in the group seizing control of vast positions and areas along the coast.

The "National Resistance" forces, led by member of the Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Tareq Saleh, announced that more than 500 of their personnel were killed and nearly 1,500 others wounded. This was compared to more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded among the Houthis, according to the statement about the battles that spanned from August 9 to September 10.

The statement, broadcast by the military forces' media, comes following a major field shift on the west coast fronts, with the Houthis advancing and seizing control of Hays, al-Khawkha, Mokha and its port, and extending their control to Bab al-Mandeb, Mayyun Island, and the rest of the Yemeni islands in the southern Red Sea.

The National Resistance described the battles as some of the "fiercest clashes" they have fought against the Houthis, stating that the offensive began with intensive missile bombardment and attacks using drones and booby-trapped boats, before expanding across the Hays, al-Kadha, Maqbanah, and al-Barah areas.

It added that the Houthis deployed large numbers of fighters and reinforcements from various axes in an attempt to shift the balance of power on the ground and besiege the defending forces.

The National Resistance linked the nature of the offensive and the Houthis' ability to mobilize forces and execute simultaneous operations to what they described as direct support from personnel and expertise of the IRGC and its regional allies.

A Yemeni gunman brandishes his weapon during a rally to recruit more fighters in Sanaa on September 10, 2026. (AFP)

It said the offensive was prepared in advance to exploit the terrain and establish fire control over several commanding heights, in an attempt to tighten the siege on the forces and destroy their combat capability.

It added that the course of the battles revealed, according to its assessment, the nature of the Iranian role in supporting the Houthis, accusing the group of executing a project that targets Arab national security and international waterways.

Faced with the intensity of the offensive and the succession of reinforcements, the National Resistance revealed that its leadership decided to reposition forces into new defensive lines, aiming to preserve its "strike force" and foil the plan to encircle and destroy it.

The repositioning is not the end of the fight, but rather a measure to preserve its forces and rearrange their deployment after losing extensive positions.

The statement praised Saudi support, which it said continued until the "last moment," alongside the backing of the Giants Brigades, National Shield, and tribal volunteers, saying this is an embodiment of the unity among anti-Houthi forces.

The National Resistance said the developments underscore the need for integrating anti-Houthi fronts and mobilizing them simultaneously, rather than relying on a single military sector, aiming to regain the initiative and impose a new military reality.

In an attempt to avoid holding other Yemeni factions responsible for the loss, the statement stressed that the resistance has no intention of "accusing anyone of treason" or engaging in "settling scores or political posturing." It called for viewing developments objectively, drawing lessons, and rearranging priorities for the upcoming phase.

Arab World

Israeli Strike Kills Two People in Gaza, Medics Say

Internally displaced Palestinians walk among the ruins of destroyed residential buildings in the Al-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians walk among the ruins of destroyed residential buildings in the Al-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Israeli Strike Kills Two People in Gaza, Medics Say

Internally displaced Palestinians walk among the ruins of destroyed residential buildings in the Al-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians walk among the ruins of destroyed residential buildings in the Al-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 10 September 2026. (EPA)

An ‌Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed at least two Palestinians in a vehicle and wounded 13 others in the Gaza Strip, medical staff said.

The strike in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood in western Gaza City, left the vehicle mangled, according to footage circulated on social media. Local medical staff told ‌Reuters that ‌they urged people to provide ‌information ⁠that could help identify ⁠the two people who were killed and whose bodies were dismembered by the explosion.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hamas fighters, without giving further information.

An October 2025, ⁠US-backed, ceasefire halted large-scale fighting in ‌Gaza, but ‌it has not ended Israeli strikes and ‌there has been little progress on ‌steps towards permanent peace.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement US President Donald Trump's broader plan ‌to end the Gaza conflict, which includes the Israeli withdrawal ⁠from ⁠the strip and the disarmament of Hamas.

Israel says Hamas has been violating the deal.

More than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Hamas does not usually disclose information about fatalities among its fighters.