Baghdad
Capital of Iraq and the exposed US military foothold in the Iran war.
Last refreshed: 20 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is Baghdad a frontline in the Iran-Israel war?
Timeline for Baghdad
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Iran Conflict 2026- Why has the US embassy in Baghdad been attacked?
- Iranian-aligned Shia militias have struck the US embassy compound with rockets, and an Iranian Ballistic missile hit the helipad during the war.Source: background
- Is Iraq part of the Iran-Israel war?
- Iraq is officially neutral, but Iraqi territory hosts US bases targeted by Shia militias, and Iranian missiles use Iraqi airspace.Source: background
- How many US troops are in Iraq?
- Approximately 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq, mainly at Ayn al-Asad and Erbil, despite a 2020 Iraqi parliamentary vote calling for withdrawal.Source: background
- How has the war affected Iraq's oil exports?
- Iraq cut roughly 1.5 million barrels a day during the war, squeezing government revenues and tightening global oil supply during the crisis.Source: background
Background
The US embassy compound in Baghdad has been hit by both militia rockets and a direct Iranian Ballistic missile strike on its helipad, and Iraq has cut approximately 1.5 million barrels a day of oil output since fighting began.
Iraqi territory hosts roughly 2,500 US troops across Ayn al-Asad, Erbil, and the Victory compound near Baghdad International Airport, despite a 2020 parliamentary vote calling for withdrawal. Baghdad is the seat of a federal government pulled between Shia political blocs aligned with Tehran and a technocratic centre that depends on Washington for air cover, training, and currency access.
Iraq's neutrality is eroding from two directions: Iraqi Shia militias inside the Popular Mobilisation Forces have opened a kinetic front on US positions, while Iranian missiles route through Iraqi airspace. Baghdad's oil exports via Basra terminals tie domestic fiscal stability to a war Iraq did not join, making the city the most exposed non-belligerent capital in the region.
