Iran-US-Israel War Expands, Iraqi Groups Become Involved

The war in the Middle East between the United States (US)-Israel and Iran is expanding. Groups in Iraq are beginning to get involved. Reported by AFP on Wednesday, groups supported by Tehran have repeatedly attacked US interests, including bases housing troops, diplomatic missions, or oil facilities. Armed groups, designated as terrorist organisations by the US, have warned that the Middle East conflict will become a prolonged war of attrition. Who are they? Several are mentioned as main groups. One of them is Al-Nujaba. This group is on the US blacklist along with the Iranian-supported “axis of resistance,” which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. “Drone and rocket production within the axis of resistance has become as common as making Kleicha at home,” the movement stated, referring to a traditional Iraqi sweet pastry usually filled with dates or nuts. Besides Al-Nujaba, there are other groups such as Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. Among them all, Kataeb Hezbollah is known to be the most aggressive, having long led attacks against US interests in Iraq. Target US Interests These Iranian-backed groups have targeted the US embassy in Iraq’s capital, its diplomatic and logistical facilities at Baghdad airport, including oil fields operated by foreign companies. The autonomous Kurdistan region, which hosts American troops and the main US consulate, is also a key target. It is still unclear what these groups have attacked in the broader region. However, previously during the Kuwait war, they summoned the Iraqi ambassador regarding attacks on its territory. Analyst from the International Crisis Group, Lahib Higel, based in Brussels, said these groups are getting involved because they see this war as an existential battle for the Iranian regime. “In the Iranian axis, they are the last line of defence, and the assassination of Supreme Leader (Ali) Khamenei is a signal that their own survival is at risk,” he said. The Al-Nujaba group claims to have a large stockpile of drones and rockets produced in small workshops. Higel said Iran has withheld heavy weapons from these groups, unlike Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen. The Iraqi groups possess drones and rockets, as well as “short-range ballistic missiles,” which they have used in the past. This, Higel said, is clearly a war of attrition for them, with the aim of expelling the US from Iraq. US Reaction Over the years, the US has attacked these groups, killing several of their commanders. In the war with Iran that began on 28 February, attacks also seem to have been carried out by the US-Israel on the main stronghold of Kataeb Hezbollah and the Jurf al-Sakher base south of Baghdad. At least 43 Iran-backed fighters, as well as members of Hashed al-Shaabi, have been killed, according to AFP’s tally based on factions and security sources. On Saturday, a missile struck a house in the capital, killing three members of Kataeb Hezbollah, including a commander.