To avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government and the desire to de-escalate tensions, Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia supported by Iran, has declared that it will not be attacking US personnel in the area.
Kata’ib Hezbollah is a component of the Shiite militia alliance known as the Popular Mobilization Soldiers (PMF), which has shifted its focus from fighting the Sunni Islamic State “caliphate” to targeting American and Kurdish soldiers. Moreover, it is said to be affiliated with the most influential faction within the “Islamic Resistance of Iraq,” a collective title that several jihadist organizations used to rally behind the murderous Hamas group following its October 7 massacre in Israel.
The group is distinct from Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist organization, yet they are allies. A drone strike on an outpost on the Jordan-Syria border on January 28 killed three Americans and wounded scores more; the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility for the attack.
When asked to comment on the remarks, the Pentagon said actions speak louder than words.
Just one week ago, the organization had threatened to carry out “painful” terrorist strikes on Americans. According to the organization, Iraqi resistance fighters will not stop assisting Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza, and they will also launch severe strikes on US occupation forces in Iraq and the surrounding region until they are expelled.
Following the horrific events on October 7, the Pentagon has recorded 165 assaults on Americans in Iraq and Syria, with the majority of these strikes being claimed by the newly formed Islamic Resistance in Iraq alliance.
Terrorists in Yemen, supported by Shiite Iran, have also begun an offensive against commercial ships in the Red Sea, which has resulted in a steep drop in ship traffic, skyrocketing shipping rates, and enormous interruptions to international trade.
Rudaw, a major media broadcaster in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, reports that the counter-terrorism operations launched in response to the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, have left some 900 American troops in Syria and an estimated 2,500 in Iraq. In both nations, the majority are now lending a hand to the fight against the remnants of the Islamic State.
