Iraqi Militia Announces Five-Day Ceasefire Against US Embassy in Baghdad
A powerful Iran-backed militia group in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, has announced a temporary halt to attacks on the United States Embassy in Baghdad. This five-day pause in hostilities, effective from Thursday (19/3/2026), comes with strict conditions for the US and Israel.
The decision follows a barrage of rocket and drone attacks on the US Embassy since the war with Iran erupted nearly three weeks ago. Kataib Hezbollah warned that it would respond with “more intense” attacks if its demands are ignored.
The Secretary-General of Kataib Hezbollah stated that orders have been issued to suspend these operations. However, the group, designated by Washington as a terrorist organisation, has set several key conditions:
Cessation of Israeli attacks on civilians and bombings in the southern outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon.
Halt to airstrikes in residential areas in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces.
Restrictions on the movement of CIA personnel, who are required to remain within the embassy complex and are prohibited from operating outside that area.
“Whenever the enemy violates this ceasefire, an immediate response will be given,” the group’s official statement emphasised, while warning of escalated attacks after the five-day period ends.
So far, the US air defence systems have reportedly intercepted most of the projectiles targeting the diplomatic complex and logistics centres at Baghdad International Airport. However, tensions remain high following airstrikes on the Iraq-Syria border on Wednesday that killed three fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance.
Amid the military tensions, Iraq now faces the threat of economic paralysis. The Iraqi government has confirmed that gas imports from Iran have completely stopped on Wednesday local time. This halt follows Tehran’s condemnation of US-Israeli attacks on their gas facilities in the South Pars field.
Spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Moussa, stated that the cessation of gas supply has resulted in a loss of 3,100 megawatts of electricity. “This will certainly impact the national electricity grid,” Moussa told the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Although Iraq has abundant oil reserves, its power plants heavily rely on imported gas from Iran to meet a third of the national demand. Currently, most households in Iraq are forced to rely on private generators due to worsening daily power outages.
Iraq is attempting to find economic leeway by agreeing to export oil via the Turkish pipeline at the Ceyhan port, after the main route through the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed by Iran. However, the exported volume is only 250,000 barrels per day, a tiny fraction compared to the 3.5 million barrels before the war broke out. This situation worsens state revenues, given that oil sales account for 90 percent of Iraq’s foreign income. (CNN/AFP/Z-2)