Caught in the crossfire of the Iran war, the province of Basra in Iraq's southern tip is home to militia groups that wield significant influence over the local economy.
V-shaped and forming a wedge between Kuwait and Iran, Basra is also the country’s only outlet to the Arabian Gulf that is critical for oil exports.
Its provincial capital, Basra, is the second-largest city in Iraq and the region holds about 70 per cent of the country’s total oil reserves of 153 billion barrels.
With Kuwait under attack as the US and Iran trade strikes, the province's politics has come to the fore.
Tehran-backed Iraqi militias – some operating under the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella group of armed factions, and others outside it – enjoy significant support among the local community, mainly tribes.
Basra’s border areas have been used for attacks against US troops stationed inside Kuwait. Its proximity to Kuwait has made it a launch point for drone and rocket attacks since the outbreak of Iran war on February 28.
In April, Iraqi security forces foiled a militant attempt to launch rockets from Basra's Al Zubair district. The same month, rockets hit a house in Khor Al Zubair near Basra, killing at least three people. Iraqi officials and militias alleged the rockets came from Kuwait.
That prompted protesters to storm the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra, taking the flag down and waving the flags of the PMF and one of the powerful militias, Kataib Hezbollah.
Kuwaiti officials have repeatedly condemned what they call “blatant aggression” from Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said it held Iraq responsible for failing to protect diplomatic missions, and denied allegations of firing rockets towards Iraq.
Who controls what in Basra
Although the militant groups and their associated politicians have no significant influence inside Basra’s Provincial Council, they effectively control its formal and informal economy.
They have a strong presence at the province's ports and parts of the oil sector. The US has accused militias of smuggling sanctioned Iranian oil rebranded as Iraqi crude.
Militias often operate outside state control and residents accuse them of running parallel security networks that attack activists and protesters. Companies linked to militias and political parties dominate sectors such as customs and ports.
Logistics and shipping firms controlled by the militias in Basra provide cover for this trade. They also influence local security forces through patronage and intimidation.
Which militias are most influential in Basra?
The groups active in Basra are all part of the Iran-backed “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” umbrella. The most prominent are:
Kataib Hezbollah
The most influential and visible group. Designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US, it has a strong presence in southern Iraq and is linked to many drone and rocket attacks inside and outside the country. Protesters waved its flags during the April 2026 storming of the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra.
Asaib Ahl Al Haq
A major PMF faction with deep roots in southern Iraq. It holds sway in Basra through political and economic offices and armed units. It didn’t take part in the attacks against US assets inside Iraq and beyond as its leadership has been focusing on its political influence and participation in the federal government.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid Al Shuhada
Both are US-designated groups that operate in Basra, believed to be active along the Kuwaiti border. They have been named on US sanctions lists over accusations of smuggling Iranian oil and enabling attacks.
Badr Organisation
Older and more integrated into the state, Badr maintains influence through its control of government offices. Like the AAH, Badr didn’t take part in the latest attacks.
