Iraq Militia Warns US and Israel over 'Unified' Strike from Iran and Allies

An Iraqi militia fighting under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has shared with Newsweek warnings for both Israel and the U.S. as the region awaits the response of Iran and its allies for two high-profile assassinations.

Two weeks have passed since the still-unclaimed surprise slaying of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran, and the fatal Israeli airstrike that killed Fouad Shukr, the top military official of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, in Beirut. With conflict still raging amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, Iran and its informal Axis of Resistance coalition have vowed to inflict a vengeance that Israeli and U.S. officials now believe may be imminent.

The U.S. has sought to allay a major escalation by pushing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, while at the same time asserting its commitment to defending its ally, Israel. The Pentagon has also conducted strikes against Iran allies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in response to attacks on Israel and U.S. troops, sparking further outrage among the Axis of Resistance.

In a statement attributed to the "Iraqi Resistance Coordination" and shared with Newsweek by a spokesperson for the Nujaba Movement on Monday, Iraqi factions condemned how "the forces of arrogance continue to persist in their brutal and treacherous attacks against the peoples and men of their resistance."

"They continue to sponsor and support the security of the Zionist entity at the expense of the security of the region," the statement said, "without regard to the sovereignty of Iraq or the countries that reject its criminal policies."

"The Iraqi Resistance Coordination is not bound by any restrictions," the statement added. "If the American occupation forces are involved again in targeting our sons in Iraq, or exploiting its airspace to carry out attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran; Our response then will not have any upper limits."

The Nujaba Movement representative also shared with Newsweek a video said to demonstrate "the military preparations of the leaders of the Islamic Resistance for a unified response to Israel's provocations."

The minute-long clip, attributed to the group's office in Iran, carried recent words by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Nujaba Movement Secretary-General Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi, Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, newly promoted Hamas Political Bureau chief Yahya Sinwar and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, all of whom broadcast their desire to strike back at Israel over recent attacks.

The warnings came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of a third carrier strike group to the Middle East "in light of escalating regional tensions" during a call with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.

Over the past two weeks, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the targeting of more than two dozen missiles, uncrewed surface vessels, launchers and other systems belonging to Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, as the group pressed on with its campaign against Israel and commercial vessels in the region.

Ansar Allah has also promised retaliation against Israel over an unprecedented airstrike against Yemen's Hodeidah port last month in response to the group's earlier drone strike on Tel Aviv. Last week, a senior Ansar Allah official hinted to Newsweek that "a lot" of action was in store amid the soaring regional tensions.

Around the time of Haniyeh's killing on July 31, the U.S. also conducted strikes against militia positions in Iraq, with a U.S. defense official telling Newsweek at the time that the operation preemptively sought to foil an anticipated drone attack, marking the first known strike of its kind since February. Days later, seven U.S. personnel were wounded in a drone strike at Iraq's Ain al-Asad Airbase.

Violence appeared to continue throughout this past weekend as well, with reports emerging of additional U.S. injuries in a drone attack against a U.S. position in the northeastern Syria province of Al-Hasakah on Saturday and strikes targeting militia positions in eastern Deir Ezzor on Sunday.

A U.S. defense official confirmed to Newsweek the drone attack at the Rumalyn Landing Zone in Al-Hasakah late Friday, local time, saying "no U.S. servicemembers were seriously hurt" but the strike "caused damage to one set of facilities."

"Military officials are still assessing the damage, though they credited swift and effective preemptive measures as limiting the drone's effect," the U.S. defense official said. "Several (U.S. and coalition) personnel were treated for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation. Others are being examined for traumatic brain injuries."

"Out of an abundance of caution, several servicemembers were transported to a separate location for further assessment and evaluation," the U.S. defense official added. "No injuries are life-threatening. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. We will provide updated information as it becomes available."

The U.S. defense official also said the Pentagon was "aware of the reports" regarding the strike targeting militia positions in Deir Ezzor, but declined to add further comment.

As for the broader threats of escalation in the region, the defense official stated that "the U.S. is monitoring the situation in the Middle East and calls on all parties to de-escalate regional tensions."

Shortly after the latest U.S. strikes in Iraq, in which Yemen's Ansar Allah said one of its own members was killed, Nujaba Movement Political Council chief Sheikh Ali al-Asadi renewed the group's pledge to expel U.S. forces from Iraq, by diplomacy or force, in an exclusive interview with Newsweek.

Asked last week about Hezbollah's plans to exact revenge for the killings of Haniyeh and Shukr, a spokesperson for the group referred Newsweek to the latest words of Nasrallah. The Lebanese movement's leader asserted during his last speech on Tuesday that "our response is certainly coming and will be strong, impactful and effective," and that it may be coordinated with the entirety of the Axis of Resistance.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official also told Newsweek around that same time that a Hezbollah response to Shukr's killing was "for sure," and warned that any civilian deaths would set off a "wider escalation."

Observers in Iran and abroad have pointed out that Tehran and its allies would likely coordinate what may be a multi-pronged strike against Israel. Experts and former officials also suggest that a breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire talks may mitigate the level of response, though there has been little evidence of progress in the lead-up to an upcoming round of talks scheduled for Thursday.

In a statement shared with Newsweek on Friday, the Iranian Mission to the United Nations said that the nation's "priority is to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza; any agreement accepted by Hamas will also be recognized by us."

"The Israeli regime has violated our national security and sovereignty through its recent act of terrorism," the Iranian Mission said. "We have the legitimate right to self-defense—a matter totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire. However, we hope that our response will be timed and conducted in a manner not to the detriment of the potential ceasefire."

Israeli officials have since signaled that an attack from Iran and its allies may be imminent. White House National Security Council Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters on Monday that U.S. officials "share those concerns" that it is "increasingly likely that there will be an event by Iran and all of its proxies, and perhaps in the coming days."

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