Explosions rocked military positions in Iraq as a series of blasts hit a site just north of Baghdad. The base was the home of one of the state-sponsored militias currently allied with Iran, known as PMUs, according to Iraqi officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at Israel’s involvement in the attacks, sparking fears of a further extension of US and Israeli military operations in Iraq.
Mr Netanyahu said: “Iran has no immunity, anywhere.
“We will act and continue to act against them wherever it is necessary.”
This may have serious implications for the region as experts warn of an expanded Cold War.
While the battle between Iran and Israel has already reached Syria, Iraq may well be the next expansion.
Last month Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran by striking its allied neighbour for the first time since 1981.
Iran expert Ben Taleblu told the Washington Examiner: “There is going to be no geographical limitation for the regional pushback on Iran by Israel.
“That could be really a game-changer in the region for how you push back on Iran, because Iraq is so central to Iran’s regional project.”
Iraqi authorities shut off their airspace last Thursday as Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi called for an end to all “unauthorised flights”.
READ MORE: How Cold War 2 is unravelling in the Middle East (MAPPED)
If fired from southern and western Iraq, these missiles could reach Riyadh and possibly Tel Aviv.
“They are Iran’s main deterrent to a US-Israeli-Saudi attack and thus a threat to Israeli freedom of action in the region.”
The PMUs Iranian affiliate finished second in last year’s Iranian parliamentary elections.
Iran has also allegedly been integrating the groups into its own armed forces – and received their allegiance in return.
A spokesman for the Hezbollah al-Nujaba Movement sent a thinly veiled threat to any Iraqi government that stands against Iran during a recent meeting.
Mr Morley warns that this could ensure any conflict between Iran and the US could actually be fought in Iraq.
Analysis from Express.co.uk suggests that the two nations are locked in a ‘Middle East Cold War’, with a number of proxies in the region.
While Iran is allied with the likes of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, Washington tends to recruit the Sunni gulf states to achieve their own goals.
Mr Taleblu added: “We have entered a world in the Middle East in which these are not strong centralised states anymore like we were used to dealing with during the Cold War.
“It’s really going to get messier – not cleaner, not more organised. Conflict is going to be less and less conventional in this region.”