DFOP0018090 Preventing Iranian Proxy and ISIS Activities Along Iraq’s Western Border

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces a competitive funding opportunity to improve law enforcement’s ability to engage productively with individuals repatriated from northeast Syria and Iraq in their countries of origin. This one-year program aims to help law enforcement prevent negative interactions with returnees, reduce local tensions including possible stigmatization, and lower the risk of terrorist radicalization and recidivism. The program will also support more effective monitoring of returnee populations and the establishment of early warning mechanisms for those who may be vulnerable to radicalization or reengagement in terrorist activity. The target audience for this program includes law enforcement agencies and officials in countries receiving repatriated individuals from Syria and Iraq.

The Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces this funding opportunity to protect American economic interests, personnel, and national security by supporting the Government of Iraq’s (GOI) capabilities to counter unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) threats while simultaneously advancing Iraqi security forces’ capability to protect critical infrastructure. This program should deliver concrete returns for American taxpayers by safeguarding U.S. commercial investments in Iraq’s energy sector and reducing threats to American personnel from Iran and Iran-Aligned Milita Groups (IAMGs). U.S. companies maintain significant investments in Iraqi oil and gas production, representing substantial American economic interests. UAS operated by Iran and IAMGs present a persistent and escalating threat to these American investments and to U.S. personnel operating in Iraq. Recent drone attacks on U.S. facilities in Erbil and Baghdad illustrate IAMGs intent and capabilities to attack American interests. By supporting Iraq’s ability to both defend against hostile UAS and conduct proactive surveillance operations, this program should directly protect American economic assets and reduce risks to American citizens abroad. This program advances critical U.S. national security priorities outlined in the U.S. Department of State Agency Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026-2030, 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 (NSPM-2) on Countering Iran and IAMGs by degrading the operational capabilities of their UAS and protecting U.S. interests. This program should be designed to reduce Iraq’s long-term dependency on U.S. taxpayer resources by building sustainable Iraqi civilian law enforcement capabilities to independently protect critical infrastructure, conduct surveillance operations, and respond to UAS threats.

The Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces this funding opportunity to protect American economic and security interests by supporting Pakistan’s law enforcement counterterrorism abilities in Balochistan Province. This program should deliver concrete returns for American taxpayers by safeguarding U.S. commercial access to critical minerals essential to technological advancement, defense manufacturing, and economic competitiveness. Balochistan Province contains significant deposits of critical minerals essential to American national security and economic prosperity. The 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) emphasizes “economic security is fundamental to national security” and calls for securing “independent and reliable access to the goods we need to defend ourselves and preserve our way of life.” Terrorist organizations operating in Balochistan, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-K, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), pose persistent threats to regional stability that directly threaten American access to these strategic resources. This program should be designed to reduce Pakistan’s long-term dependency on U.S. taxpayer resources by building sustainable Pakistani law enforcement capabilities to independently identify, disrupt, and deter terrorist networks. Through protection of critical infrastructure technical assistance and potential complementary equipment provision, the program should enable Pakistan to assume greater responsibility for counterterrorism operations in Balochistan without ongoing U.S. support. All activities must emphasize Pakistani ownership, institutional capability, and graduation to self-sufficiency.