“Israel may attack Iraq, however the attacks will be limited and different from those in Lebanon because Iraq’s situation, nature, and geography are different,” Kadhim al-Fartusi, spokesperson for the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, part of the government-linked but Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, told Rudaw.
Fartusi said that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq does not speak on behalf of the Iraqi government and is not coordinating with it, but “represents the people and is the voice and will of the people.”
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war a year ago, Baghdad has struggled to keep the delicate balance between maintaining relations with pro-Iran militias and keeping them at bay, and protecting the diplomatic and military interests of Western countries, particularly the United States.
“We are in the face of a war, a historic war, one fought with pride and honor, reflecting the battles of glory and heroism. Whatever the cost for Iraq, it does not cause concern, and it should not be based on mere political or diplomatic calculations,” Fartusi stressed, adding that the Muslim world is under “barbaric attack.”
“Iraq must act and take the initiative before events escalate into a war, for which it is unprepared,” he said.
The Washington Institute think tank in 2021 called Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada “a splinter of Kataib Hezbollah” - another pro-Iran Shiite militia group - that works under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Both groups are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow Iraqi militia groups backed by Iran that has launched hundreds of rocket and drone strikes against US military installations in Iraq in retaliation for Washington’s support for Israel in its war against Gaza.
Abu Alaa al-Walaei, secretary general of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, said in a statement on Monday that Iraq has become the “first support front” for Lebanon and Gaza, on the first anniversary of the war.
He accused regional powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE of providing “financial cover” for the bombardment of Gaza.
“These sponsoring regimes are in the circle of direct responsibility for the innocent blood that is being shed and it will not make them immune from punishment,” Walaei said, referring to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
An Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut late last month killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, marking a significant escalation and greatly inflaming tensions between Israel and neighboring Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq - countries where Iran’s “axis of resistance” has considerable sway.
The conflict in Gaza has intensified since October 7 of last year, when Palestinian Hamas militants launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel - killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive ongoing offensive in Gaza, killing over 40,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israel has also escalated its strikes in Lebanon and parts of Syria over the past year, targeting Hezbollah and Iranian commanders.
On Tuesday, Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel. The IRGC said the attack was in response to the killing of Hezbollah secretary general Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan.
On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani called on world leaders to intensify their efforts to spare the Middle East from a wider conflict.
