The Iraqi factions allied with Iran grouped under the so-called Islamic Resistance of Iraq have intensified their attacks in recent days against bases in the northern part of the country where Western troops are deployed, amid a resurgence of US airstrikes against their barracks.
These episodes of escalating violence confirm that Iraq has become yet another battleground in the regional war initiated by the US and Israel.
The assaults by the Iranian-allied formations, which resulted in the death of a French soldier on Thursday, coincided with the incident involving a US KC-135 tanker plane that crashed in Iraqi territory.
The US Central Command admitted the death of 4 crew members but hastened to state that "the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire".
US media suggested that the KC-135 had collided with another similar aircraft, which managed to make an emergency landing in Israel with damage to the tail, as seen in images from that country.
Despite the official information, the pro-Iranian groups claimed that the plane had been shot down by one of their missiles.
A statement released by the aforementioned Islamic Resistance of Iraq in the early hours already warned that their followers had "shot down a KC-135 in western Iraq, using appropriate weapons, in defense of the sovereignty of our country and its airspace, which is being violated by occupying forces".
A spokesperson for Kataeb Hezbollah, Jaafar al Husseini, had previously warned that their forces had the "capability to deter planes and prevent Americans from violating Iraqi airspace".
Telegram channels serving as a platform for propaganda for these factions also claimed a second attack on the damaged plane that ended up in Israel.
"The crew managed to escape and made an emergency landing at an enemy airport," read another text from the paramilitaries.
These same channels began to disseminate artificially created images of the plane exploding, Trump crying, and Quranic messages like one that said: "We have been taught the language of birds and have been given of all things. Surely, this is a clear reward."
The statements from the irregular forces indicated that their militants had "carried out 31 operations using dozens of drones and missiles against occupation bases in Iraq and the region".
The various armed groups supported by Iran are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which ironically fought alongside the US during the war against the Islamic State starting in 2014.
These factions not only have significant military potential but also have a significant political presence to the extent of being decisive in the election of the next Iraqi prime minister.
In recent days, their militias have been targeting Iraqi installations where US troops are still present, as well as other Western military personnel, such as the French and Italians.
One of the French soldiers died on Thursday in an attack on a base southeast of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. The incident also left another half dozen French soldiers injured.
The aggression against French troops adds to the one experienced by Italian soldiers on Wednesday, although in that case, the drone attack did not result in casualties.
Rome has around 300 troops in Kurdistan, who are also part of the international alliance established to fight against the Islamic State.
The incident led to an announcement of the withdrawal of Italian soldiers, adding to the departure already announced by other Western armies such as the German, Norwegian, and Swedish forces.
"The withdrawal was already planned and is temporary," said Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
According to the Rudaw news website, until last Wednesday, Iraqi Kurdistan had been hit by nearly 250 drones and missiles - mostly from Iraqi territory but also launched from Iran - resulting in four dead and 19 wounded.
The escalation of violence intensified last weekend. During that time, the US embassy in Baghdad was already hit by a rocket attack, as were the positions of American soldiers at the capital's airport.
The newspaper Arab al Jadeed reported that Washington had informed Baghdad that it intended to carry out massive airstrikes on PMF bases from that moment on, a promise that has been fulfilled throughout this week.
The crisis puts the current Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Al Sudani, in a difficult situation under pressure from both sides.
The incumbent Prime Minister - the selection of his replacement has been stalled for months - issued a statement on Thursday criticizing the repeated airstrikes by the US Air Force against the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) bases.
"This systematic and repeated aggression is not only a military violation but a miserable attempt to undermine communal peace, in addition to undermining the security achievements made with the blood of Iraqis. We will not allow Iraq to become a battleground for settling scores," Sudani stated.
On the same day, aircraft allegedly belonging to the US and Israeli alliance struck the positions of some of these groups in the border district of Al Qaim, in Anbar province, resulting in dozens of dead and wounded among the militants, as reported by Iraqi media.
A similar action in Kirkuk on Wednesday resulted in the death of at least one person and left seven injured at another PMF base.
Baghdad is also suffering from the widespread onslaught by Iranian forces against fuel transport through the Persian Gulf. Two oil tankers were set ablaze on Wednesday night after being hit by Iranian marine drones loaded with explosives.
Several oil wells and refineries in the Arab state have also been damaged by the aerial assaults attributed to Tehran or its allies.