Iraq Militia Attacks Threaten US Majors’ Entry Plans

13 Mar 2026 Issue: 69 / 11 By: Yesar Al-Maleki

Anti-US sentiment among Iraq’s Shia militias manifested itself in attacks on US assets in Basra province this week. The attacks set a worrying precedent that could persist even after the current conflict ends and raise the security stakes for the planned upstream entry of US majors ExxonMobil and Chevron.

Iraq is in the unenviable position of being the only country in the Middle East whose assets are being attacked by domestic groups. While Gulf states to the south are being struck by Iranian missiles and drones, Iran-backed militias inside Iraq are targeting US facilities.

These groups are believed to have carried out multiple strikes over the weekend against compounds in Basra province housing workers for US oil companies. No group has officially assumed responsibility for the attacks. The development raises the risks for foreign firms operating in the country’s southern oil heartland and may complicate Baghdad’s efforts to bring US majors Exxon and Chevron into its upstream. (CONTINUED - 1025 WORDS)