Shia paramilitary groups as an instrument of Iranian influence in Iraq

Abstract

Characteristic features of the pro-Iranian Shiite armed groups, which act as influential non-state actors (NGA) in the main spheres of activity of the Iraqi state, are studied. Methodological developments obtained as a result of research on the NGA problem are used. V.V. Naumkin and V.A. Kuznetsov note the existence of a stable academic tradition of a state-centered approach to the problem of their typologization. This approach is based on the fact that an NGA defines and builds its actions, focusing to one degree or another on the state. Such formations have a political wing and a bureaucratic apparatus for participating in the life of the state not only as alternative to the army and police law enforcement agencies. They also play the role of parliamentary forces and economic actors, including those active in the shadow sector of the economy. Created at one time with the active participation of the Iranian special services, Shiite paramilitary groups have become an effective instrument of Iran’s influence in the country. The strengthening of their influence on the government of Iraq is noted. It is manifested in the transition from opposition to the pro-American Prime Minister M. al-Kazimi (2020–2022) to a kind of «symphony» of harmony and cooperation under his pro-Iranian successor M. al-Sudani. This factor affects not only the domestic political situation, but also the regional balance of power in the Middle East.