US Contractors Stranded in Iraq Under Threat of Imminent Attack
More than 200 American contractors are currently stranded at a major military base near Baghdad, Iraq, with no viable evacuation plan in place, while local Iran-backed militants are reportedly preparing to launch an attack on the facility. Three independent sources have confirmed the precarious situation, describing the contractors as "sitting ducks" due to the absence of visible protective measures.
High-Value Target in the Green Zone
The contractors are employed at the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base, formerly known as Balad Air Base, where they support the Iraqi government's F-16 fighter jet program. An employee of defense contractor V2X, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, stated: "With more than 200 American nationals on the base, the site is considered a high-value target, and the absence of visible preventative measures leaves us feeling exposed and vulnerable." The Guardian approached V2X for comment, but received no response prior to publication.
Post-Ramadan Attack Fears
Iraqi workers on the base have warned their foreign colleagues that Islamic Resistance militants are planning to attack once Ramadan concludes later this week. Contract workers revealed that some Iraqi military and contract employees have links to these militants and have been passing sensitive information in preparation for the assault. Islamic Resistance comprises various militias and armed groups associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella network of predominantly Shiite militias that is formally integrated into Iraq's state security apparatus.
Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House in London, explained: "One of the biggest challenges of the Iraqi state is there has been an increase in these groups gaining senior and significant positions in the security sector in the last few years. It's very much a hybrid model in which they have one foot in the state and one foot out of the state." Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani lacks the authority to curb their rising influence.
Gathering Intelligence and Security Concerns
Sources indicate that local militants have been actively gathering intelligence on the populations working at the air base. "They are asking questions about how many foreigners and Americans are on base," said the first V2X employee. The contractors are effectively trapped, as roads outside the base are too dangerous for travel, and airspace remains closed due to ongoing aerial bombardment from drones and missiles. Military forces on the base have been engaging drones, with contract workers reporting daily gunfire.
However, V2X's daily security emails have claimed there have been no unarmed aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over the base. A second V2X worker countered: "People are seeing the UAVs. We hear this shooting every day, sometimes multiple times, and they have the nerve to say there's not UAV activity in the vicinity of the base. I believe the danger is higher than they're saying and they're minimizing it to the United States Government."
Inadequate Safety Protocols and Evacuation Refusal
Workers interviewed by The Guardian asserted that V2X is failing to provide timely information on safety protocols. "We are not safe. The war is not ending, and the company refused to evacuate us," said the second V2X source. "They are very poorly equipped. Our lives are in great danger." The Iraqi government has reportedly threatened V2X that evacuating personnel could result in the loss of their contract, according to two sources.
Regional Escalation and Iran's Role
Mansour noted that Iran-backed militants in Iraq had shown restraint following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, but that posture has shifted. "I think in this latest iteration of this war, that is no longer the case, that these groups are now acting in a more free capacity," he said. "To them, this is an existential fight, because they rely so heavily on the relationship with Iran, economically, militarily, ideologically and so as Iran has shifted its posture and it's looking to effectively show chaos in the region as much as possible."
The Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base has been targeted multiple times since Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran last month. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on US interests, critical infrastructure, and civilian targets around the Persian Gulf. On March 17, 2026, rockets and drones struck the US embassy in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, igniting a fire outside the embassy headquarters.
Contractual and Historical Context
V2X secured a $118 million contract from the US Air Force to support the Iraq F-16 program in June 2025. The Reston, Virginia-based defense firm was formed in 2022 through the merger of Vectrus and Vertex Aerospace. Previous reports by The Guardian highlighted that V2X employees at US military bases in Kuwait lack adequate bunker facilities, have faced pay reductions, and receive limited communication about safety and evacuation procedures since the conflict's outbreak. While US military personnel were evacuated from Kuwait pre-conflict, no similar plans were made for civilian contractors.
Future Escalation Risks
Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, DC, commented: "Iran is basically fighting a guerrilla warfare on a global scale. It has extremely messy this is why it's so hard for even major military powers like the US, like Israel to 'win' this war." As the conflict intensifies, more militant groups in the region are expected to become active. Israel's recent announcement of targeting Iran's national security chief, Ali Larijani, in overnight strikes could trigger further escalation, potentially activating groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and additional militias in Iraq.
Jacobs added: "Hezbollah has been activated in Lebanon. But what about the Houthis in Yemen and some these militias in Iraq have not yet been activated? This is what could be the next phase of escalation. Iran has only begun to use its arsenal of asymmetric warfare, and there's much more that they can actually do."
