Iraqi militias to fight Israel if it invades Lebanon, attacks Hezbollah

Iraqi militias aligned with Iran have declared a state of high alert in response to escalating tensions between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, expressing their readiness to join Hezbollah in any conflict and vowing to target U.S. interests if Washington sides with Israel.

In a televised speech, Qais Khazali, Secretary-General of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia, stated, "If the Americans continue to support Israel and if Israel expands its operations and attacks Lebanon and Hezbollah, then America will have placed all its interests in the region, particularly in Iraq, at risk."

He added, "The operations of the Resistance Axis in Lebanon, Yemen, or Iraq are defensive and aim to pressure Israel," referring to Iran-backed groups in the region.

The Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, led by Abu Ala' al-Walai, also confirmed that Iraq would join any war that erupts between Hezbollah and Israel. Spokesperson Kazem al-Fartousi remarked, "The ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel is a war of one axis, and Iraq is part of this axis. We, the Iraqi factions, are part of it."

Al-Fartousi added, "The Iraqi factions target Israel almost daily in various ways. We stand with Palestine in its war and with Hezbollah in its war."

Aed al-Hilali, a member of the Coordinating Framework Forces alliance tied to Iran-backed militias, suggested that the coming days might see developments in these factions' war footing. "The Iraqi factions were established to resist the American occupation and Israeli aggression. Therefore, the reactions from some of them in recent days due to the threat to Lebanese Hezbollah are natural," he told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Arabic sister publication of The New Arab.

"Iraqi factions are capable of confronting the Americans by targeting American interests and presence. Coordination continues with resistance groups in Yemen, Lebanon, and Bahrain, making the possibility of striking Israeli installations in the occupied territories feasible," he added.

Mohammed Taqi, a member of the Security and Defence Committee in the Iraqi parliament, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, "Washington is complicit in supporting Israel's brutality in its war on Palestinians and Arabs in general. Iraqi factions do not want to remain silent about these violations. They are waiting for diplomatic efforts' outcomes, but if they fail, Iraqis will have their say, as some factions have indicated regarding resistance and preventing harm to Islam, Muslims, and the region in general."

Since the October 7 attacks led by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli operations in Gaza, the 'Islamic Resistance in Iraq', consisting of several factions close to Tehran, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, Al-Nujaba, Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Imam Ali, have carried out more than 220 attacks targeting Israeli and American assets. This includes a drone attack last January on a U.S. base in Jordan near the Syrian border, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.