US-Saudi Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq Kill 20, Raising Tensions

The Iraqi militia group Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) recently issued an official statement indicating that a series of joint airstrikes launched recently by the U.S. military and the Saudi-led coalition resulted in the deaths of approximately 20 of the group's militants. This airstrike targeting armed groups within Iraq highlights a renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East driven by regional geopolitical confrontations, and keeps Iraq's domestic security situation heavily entangled in the power struggles of external major powers.

Delving into its background, the Popular Mobilization Forces is a massive paramilitary umbrella organization composed of approximately 67 predominantly Shia armed factions. Formed in 2014 upon the rise of the Islamic State (IS), the group played a critical role in the war against the extremist organization in Iraq. In 2016, it gained formal legal status through legislation passed by the Iraqi parliament, nominally falling directly under the Iraqi Prime Minister and the national armed forces. In practice, however, the group's leadership has long maintained close cooperation with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and most factions openly pledge allegiance to Iran's Supreme Leader, often exerting a de facto influence that surpasses state control.

In recent years, as regional conflicts in the Middle East have continually spilled over, friction between the Iran-centric "Axis of Resistance" and the United States and its regional allies has steadily intensified. While U.S. military operations against pro-Iranian militias inside Iraq are not uncommon, this rare joint strike involving Saudi Arabia's participation has drawn particular attention. Analysts note that this indicates a subtle shift in the security cooperation posture of regional countries when confronting the expansion and threat of pro-Iranian armed forces, aiming to suppress Iran's continuously extending strategic reach in Iraq and surrounding regions through tangible military deterrence.

Faced with intensifying external airstrikes and sovereignty disputes, the Iraqi government confronts an extremely difficult domestic and diplomatic balancing act. On one hand, the fact that members of the Popular Mobilization Forces—which form part of the nation's regular forces—were targeted by foreign coalition airstrikes represents a direct challenge to national sovereignty for the Iraqi government. On the other hand, the authorities in Baghdad must carefully mediate among regional heavyweights such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iran to prevent Iraq from once again becoming the main battlefield for a major power proxy war, which could plunge the domestic political situation into a new round of turmoil and division.

For Taiwan, this type of Middle Eastern geopolitical conflict and transnational military strike highlights the high degree of uncertainty surrounding global energy supplies and international shipping security. Although the internal armed conflict in Iraq has no direct industrial supply chain connection to Taiwan, any drastic shocks to the situation in the Middle East could affect international crude oil price fluctuations and global inflation trends, thereby indirectly impacting the economic stability of energy-importing Taiwan. Continuing to monitor and understand the latest developments in the power struggles of Middle Eastern major powers helps all sectors in Taiwan comprehensively grasp the multidimensional picture of global geopolitical risks.