Greg Steube U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 17th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Greg Steube U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 17th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Representatives Greg Steube and Joe Wilson have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz to take decisive measures against Iranian-backed militias embedded within Iraq's security apparatus. These militias, supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have reportedly attacked U.S. forces over 170 times in the past two years, causing injuries to American service members.
Despite substantial financial aid from U.S. taxpayers amounting to over $11.4 billion, these groups remain a recognized part of Iraq’s official state and security forces. A Department of Defense Inspector General report highlights the significant influence of Iran-aligned militias within Iraq’s Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense.
Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s National Security Adviser and a prominent figure in the IRGC-supported Badr Corps, has been implicated in attacks against Americans, including the 2019 assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
Rep. Steube expressed his concerns: “It is completely unacceptable that taxpayer dollars have long supported a system where Iranian-backed militias are armed, trained, and legally part of Iraq’s government. Replacing ISIS with Iran-backed terrorist militias does not make sense and only fuels the onslaught of terror that the Iranian regime seeks to export."
Rep. Wilson echoed similar sentiments, stating: “It’s time for a new Iraq policy. It doesn’t make sense to continue to send billions of dollars to Iraq which is at the same time funding Iran backed militias which attack Americans."
The joint letter from Steube and Wilson outlines three primary recommendations:
1. Designating certain groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), including the Badr Corps and Abu Fadl al-Abbas Brigades.
2. Imposing sanctions under Executive Order 13224 on specific militias such as Sarayya al-Jihad and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali.
3. Suspending all U.S. security assistance until Iranian-backed militias are removed from Iraq’s official forces.
The full details can be accessed in their letter.
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