In a dramatic policy shift, the Iraqi government has shut down the Houthi-Iran liaison office in Baghdad and blocked all Houthi activity in Iraq, amid growing concerns that a major U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran is imminent.
The decision, confirmed by security sources in Baghdad, follows months of covert Houthi movements through Iraqi territory en route to Syria—movements that raised alarm in Western intelligence circles. The Houthis, a Yemeni Iran-backed terrorist group, had been using Iraq as a corridor to establish deeper ties with Hezbollah and other proxies of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entrenched in Syria.
According to reports, Iraq’s leadership fears that continued collaboration with Iranian terror proxies could make the country a prime target in the event of an American or Israeli strike on Iran. “The celebration is over,” one Iraqi official stated. “Baghdad does not want to be caught in the crossfire.”
The liaison office between the Houthis and Tehran, once operating with impunity in Iraq, has been dismantled. Iraqi security forces are now actively blocking the movement of Houthi operatives within the country, effectively halting the logistical pipeline from Yemen to Syria that had previously facilitated the transfer of weapons, personnel, and intelligence.
This comes as U.S. and Israeli military preparations intensify across the region. The Pentagon recently announced the deployment of additional fighter jets, strategic bombers, and air defense systems to key bases, while the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier heads toward the Middle East.
Defense analysts believe Iraq is attempting to reposition itself to avoid becoming collateral damage in a looming military confrontation. “The Iraqis clearly sense that the storm is coming,” one analyst noted. “They don’t want to be left on the wrong side of it when it arrives.”
Iraq’s decision to cut ties with the Houthis reflects a growing regional awareness that Iran’s axis of terror has pushed the Middle East to the brink of war. As Tehran’s proxies continue their attacks, and Israel and the U.S. prepare for possible escalation, even Iran’s former allies are choosing self-preservation over loyalty. The message is clear: those who stand with Iran risk being swept away with it.
