Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah has stated that any assault on Iran would directly imperil its own interests and might spark a regional conflict
An Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group has directed its fighters to prepare for a potential “long war of attrition” in case of US strikes on Tehran, warning that Washington would incur heavy losses if it initiates a new conflict in the region.
Kataib Hezbollah’s statement follows a third round of indirect US-Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva that concluded without an agreement, as Washington keeps sending more warships and aircraft to the Middle East.
In a Thursday statement, the group’s operations command noted that “amidst the American threats and military buildup that signal a dangerous regional escalation,” it was essential “to prepare for a potentially drawn-out war of attrition that surpasses the US administration’s expectations.”
“If America— the personification of evil— ignites war in the region, it will encounter enormous losses that cannot be contained or offset,” the statement states.
In an interview with AFP, a commander from an Iraqi armed faction said his group sees Iran as “strategic” to its interests and believes any strike on Iran “directly threatens us.”
During last year’s 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, Iraqi groups aligned with Iran did not intervene directly. This time, though, the commander said they would be “less restrained,” particularly if strikes aim for regime change in Tehran.
Through most of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran-linked militias in Iraq and Syria fired rockets and drones at US bases in the area. A Hezbollah representative told AFP this week that the Lebanese group would avoid “limited” US strikes on Iran, but would consider any effort to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a breach of a “red line.”
Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported last week that the Israel Defense Forces are preparing large-scale preemptive strikes on Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq to deter them from aiding Tehran, and have used mediators to warn that any attack on Israel would prompt a “massive and unprecedented response.”
The US has now gathered its biggest military presence in the Middle East since before its 2003 Iraq invasion. President Donald Trump has demanded that Tehran scale back its uranium enrichment and missile programs. Tehran has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful and pledged it will not be deterred.
Trump has stated he favors a diplomatic resolution but has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it rejects a new agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the Geneva talks that “very good progress” had been made, but stressed that Washington must drop what he termed “excessive demands” for a new nuclear deal to be struck. He added that further negotiations will take place alongside technical team meetings in Vienna in the next few days.