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An Iran-backed Iraqi armed group has instructed its fighters to prepare for what it described as the possibility of a prolonged regional conflict if the United States launches military strikes against neighbouring Iran.
The warning signals heightened tension across the Middle East as Washington increases military deployments while nuclear negotiations with Tehran continue.
Kataeb Hezbollah issued a statement on Thursday, warning the United States against initiating war in the region, warning of “immense losses” should such a conflict unfold. The group said that “amid American threats and military build-up indicating a dangerous escalation in the region, it is necessary” for all fighters “to prepare for a potentially long war of attrition.”
A commander from one of the armed factions told AFP that intervention would be “highly likely” if US strikes targeted Iran. He stressed that Iran remains central to the group’s strategic calculus, adding that any attack on the Islamic Republic “directly threatens us.” According to the commander, the militias would be “less restrained” this time, particularly if military action were aimed at overthrowing Iran’s leadership.
During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year, US-sanctioned Iraqi armed groups refrained from direct intervention. However, for months throughout the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza, Iran-aligned militias launched attacks on US forces stationed in the region and carried out largely unsuccessful strikes targeting Israel. Those operations eventually subsided under mounting US and domestic pressure, alongside growing calls for the groups to disarm.
The Iraqi factions are part of what is commonly referred to as the “axis of resistance,” a regional alliance that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and Yemen’s Houthis.
A Hezbollah official said that the Lebanese movement would not intervene militarily in the case of “limited” US strikes on Iran but described any attack targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “red line.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has deployed warships and fighter jets near Iran, reinforcing threats of military action should negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme fail. However, diplomatic efforts continue.
US and Iranian negotiators met for a third round of talks on Thursday, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that discussions had “made very good progress.”
