Iraqi Militant Group Urges Iran's Response To Israeli Attack

In the aftermath of the recent attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus, the representative of the Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militia in Iraq has called for a “decisive” response from Iran.

Describing the Israeli strike as tantamount to "declaring war on Iran," Hassan al-Abadi emphasized Iran's right to retaliate against Israel.

The Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) militia, an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite group established in May 2013, operates both in Iraq and Syria. In Iraq, it is aligned with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and fights alongside the Iraqi government and other Shiite paramilitaries against threats such as the Islamic State. Meanwhile, in Syria, KSS is allied with the Assad regime, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Lebanese Hezbollah, and other pro-Assad, predominantly Shiite factions battling against jihadists and anti-government forces.

The airstrike, reportedly carried out by an Israeli F-35, targeted a building within the diplomatic compound on Monday. The attack resulted in the deaths of two senior IRGC generals and five other officers. The incident is widely regarded as the most significant setback to the clerical regime and its regional aspirations since the elimination of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, in a similar US strike in Baghdad in January 2020.

In response to the attack, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed revenge on Tuesday.

With expectations high for retaliation, the Iranian regime finds itself in a delicate position. While it must respond to maintain its credibility, any direct military action risks escalating tensions into open warfare with Israel—an outcome many in Tehran want to avoid.