Iraqi Militia Vows to Attack U.S. If It Joins Israel-Iran War

(MENAFN) The Iraqi militant group Kataib Hezbollah, supported by Iran, issued a stark warning on Sunday, declaring it will strike U.S. assets across the Middle East if Washington takes part in the intensifying hostilities between Israel and Iran.

"We are closely monitoring the movements of the American enemy army in the region. If America intervenes in the war, we will act directly against its interests and bases in the region without hesitation," said Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the militia's secretary general, in an official statement.

In response to growing security concerns, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad released an alert the same day, warning of “the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence or attacks against U.S. businesses and locations frequented by U.S. citizens.” Officials advised Americans in Iraq to avoid areas commonly visited by foreigners, as well as large gatherings, due to the elevated threat level.

Tensions reached a new peak early Friday morning when Israel carried out a wave of precision airstrikes across Iran, hitting key military and strategic targets. The strikes mark the latest escalation in a rapidly widening conflict that has already seen multiple retaliatory attacks, with both sides sustaining casualties and infrastructure damage.

The current flare-up follows a deadly sequence of events earlier this year. In February 2024, the U.S. military conducted a targeted operation in Iraq that killed a senior Kataib Hezbollah leader.
U.S. defense officials stated the commander had been “responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region.” The strike came after a January drone assault on a U.S. outpost in Jordan killed three American soldiers and injured more than 40 others, prompting a swift U.S. military response.

As hostilities deepen, Kataib Hezbollah’s warning underscores the potential for a broader regional war—one that could draw in American forces despite efforts to de-escalate.

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