Kataib Hezbollah to attack US bases if Washington joins conflict
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Kataib Hezbollah, one of Iraq's most powerful Iran-aligned armed factions, warned Sunday that it would strike American military installations across the region if the United States intervenes directly in the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.
The warning came hours after Iran launched four successive waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, driving Israelis in northern and central Israel into shelters. Tehran said the strikes were in retaliation for Israeli bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs.
"If America intervenes in this confrontation, we will target its bases and interests," the group said in a brief statement issued from Baghdad.
Read more: Iraq after the regional ceasefire: US bases and unresolved political questions
Between February 28 and April 8, Kataib Hezbollah participated in attacks on US forces stationed in Iraq and neighboring countries as part of a broader confrontation between Iran and American and Israeli forces.
Kataib Hezbollah rejected calls to disarm, conditioning any such move on the withdrawal of US forces and other foreign troops from Iraq, and stating that its weapons would "remain in the hands of its fighters." The group, along with Harakat al-Nujaba and Ashab al-Kahf, has since maintained that position, rejecting disarmament without preconditions.
Read more: How the US pushed Iraq's armed factions toward disarmament, and who is still pushing back
