BAGHDAD — A dozen masked men jump out of two vans and a white van and storm a KFC in Baghdad, destroying everything in sight before fleeing the scene. A few days earlier, similar violence occurred at Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken and Chili House, all popular American brands in the Iraqi capital.
Although no one was seriously injured, the recent attacks – apparently orchestrated by supporters of anti-American militias backed by Iran in Iraq – reflect growing anger against the United States, Israel’s main ally, over the war in Gaza.
For years, Iraqi governments have walked a delicate line between Washington and Tehran, but the eight-month war in Gaza has critically raised the stakes.
The conflict broke out after The Hamas militant group swept into southern Israel on October 7., killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent offensives in Gaza have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the territory, according to the Ministry of Health there.
Days after the war broke out, a coalition of Iran-backed militias called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched dozens of attacks. Attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and eastern Syria..
Those attacks stopped in February, but only after a series of US retaliatory strikes following a drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers.
The attacks on U.S.-linked companies and brands in Iraq in late May and early this week represent a shift in tactics aimed at maximizing anti-American sentiment over Washington’s support for Israel.
The KFC attack played out like a robbery, except the attackers weren’t after the money.
CCTV footage shows the masked men storming the fast food restaurant as horrified workers and customers escape through a back exit. The men then proceed to break windows and LED screens, break chairs, tables, kitchen appliances and anything else they could find.
Minutes later, security forces arrive at the scene and fire warning shots as the perpetrators run back to their cars and flee at full speed.
In other incidents, a sound bomb was dropped in front of a Caterpillar company store, shaking the neighborhood and leaving a small pothole in the street.
Some of the displays of anti-American sentiment have been less volatile.
Last week, protesters carrying Palestinian and Iraqi flags marched to the PepsiCo offices in Baghdad, chanting “No to the agents” and “No to Israel.” Another protest took place in front of the Procter offices. & Play.
Iraqi forces armed with assault rifles and backed by armored vehicles with mounted machine guns now guard the attacked facilities and franchises.
Two officials from Iran-backed militias in Iraq confirmed to The Associated Press that the attackers were their supporters and that their goal is to promote a boycott of American brands and deter their presence in the country.
It is also an attempt to bolster the militias’ image, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with their groups’ regulations.
Abu Ali al-Askari, spokesman for the powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah, on Monday urged his supporters to get rid of “Israel spy affiliates cloaked in civilian attire,” referring to companies and organizations perceived to be linked to United States and Israel. .
Essa Ahmad, who organized more than 30 protests in support of Gaza, said during a recent demonstration in Baghdad that he and other young activists want Iraqis to boycott products “that support Israel,” although he says they do not condone violence.
Instigator Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – a rival to Iran-backed factions who, although retired from politics, remains popular among many Iraqi Shiites – has called for Iraq to expel the US ambassador.
Political analyst Ihsan al-Shammari believes that the attack on American and Western brands plays a role in the decades-long rivalry between Tehran and Washington.
“These attacks have political objectives,” he said. They send a message “that any investment or presence of Western companies in Iraq cannot survive.”
Renad Mansour, a senior fellow at Chatham House in London, says Iraq has been a “playground” for both Washington and Tehran, leaving the governments in Baghdad with little sovereignty and agency.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who came to power with the backing of a pro-Iran coalition, has sought to appease his anti-American allies without inflaming tensions with Washington or jeopardizing foreign investment in Iraq.
In recent months, Iraq and the United States have begun formal talks to withdraw about 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq under an agreement with Baghdad, primarily to counter the Islamic State militant group.
“The prime minister of Iraq…has pushed the idea that Iraq is out of the war and is focusing on restarting the relationship with the United States and examining the relationship with Iran and pushing for Iraq’s sovereignty,” Mansour told the AP. “Of course, the war in Gaza has had an impact on this.”
The Interior Ministry said it arrested some suspects in the riots and was searching for others.
But the two militia members claimed that the government dares not pursue the rioters despite being aware of who they are, for fear of escalation. They warned of further attacks on American interests, should the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq stall further.
US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski condemned the attacks on US and international franchises in a post on social media platform X, saying they could affect foreign investment in Iraq’s economy.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said attacks on “what are essentially franchises of American companies harm Iraqi workers, Iraqi sponsors and sometimes the Iraqi capital that is employed over there”.
“So ultimately these are attacks on the Iraqi people,” Miller said. “We believe that the Iraqi government should take appropriate measures to respond to these attacks and hold people accountable.”
Iraqi security spokesman Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji told the AP that rioters will be pursued, as will anyone who threatens the country’s security and economic well-being.
“We are making significant efforts to safeguard the investments and progress made by the current government,” al-Khafaji said. “It is essential to protect these achievements and create a safe environment for investors.”
Still, al-Askari warned security officials not to hinder efforts to “eliminate” American interests in Iraq.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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