Iraqi militant leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi says war with Iran will not be a “walk in the park.”
Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah has warned of “all-out war” if Iran is attacked and signaled it would provide military support to Tehran in the event of a conflict as the United States builds up military assets in the region.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the head of the Iranian-backed group, issued a fiery statement late Sunday, calling on fighters to prepare for war.
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He said “dark forces” were gathering to conquer and destroy Iran, and described the country as a “stronghold and pride” of Muslims.
“We assure our enemies that the war against the (Islamic) Republic is not a walk in the park,” al-Hamidawi said.
“But rather, you will suffer the bitterest death and there will be nothing left in our region.”
When Israel and the United States attacked Iran last June, regional allies known as the “Axis of Resistance,” including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi militant groups, did not come to help.
But Al Hamidawi suggested this time would be different, stressing “the need to support the Axis powers and support them in any way possible.”
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the largest groups within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), founded in 2014 to stop the lightning advance of ISIL (ISIS).
In a phone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Baghdad to distance itself from Iran.
Rubio said “Iraq can fulfill its potential as a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East” as Baghdad looks forward to the return of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister for the first time in more than a decade. Al-Maliki first became prime minister in 2006 with support from the United States. Relations with the United States soured after he was accused of implementing sectarian policies that led to the rise of ISIL in Iraq.
“The Secretary emphasized that an Iranian-controlled government cannot prioritize Iraq’s own interests, keep Iraq out of regional conflict, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” State Department Spokesman Tommy Piggott said.
Tensions between the US and Iran are nearing a boiling point. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump called on Iranian anti-government protesters to take over state institutions, telling them “help is on the way.”
President Trump later softened his words and said he would refrain from attacking Iran after receiving assurances from the Iranian government that it would stop executing dissidents.
However, the US government is proceeding with the dispatch of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East and strengthening its military presence in the Gulf.
In recent days, multiple airlines have suspended flights across the region, including to Israel, citing the potential spread of the virus.
Tehran has vowed to defend itself against any attack.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghai said on Monday: “Iran is doing everything it can diplomatically, but the armed forces will firmly respond to any violation of the country’s sovereignty.”
President Trump warned on Friday that he was watching Iran “very closely” and stressed that the U.S. military was sending “significant forces” to the country.
“And maybe we won’t have to use it,” the US president said. “We have a lot of ships heading in that direction, just in case we have a big fleet heading in that direction, and we’ll see what happens.”
