Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Vow to Target US Interests If Israel Attacks Lebanon

Iraqi Kataib al- Hezbollah during the early years of its formation
Iraqi Kataib al- Hezbollah during the early years of its formation

The Iran-backed Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee (IRCC) has threatened to target the US interests in Iraq and the broader region should Israel launch an attack on fellow Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The declaration follows a meeting of the coalition, reported by Al-Manar, a Hezbollah-affiliated network funded by Iran.

The IRCC is a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, part of Tehran’s broader strategy to exert influence in the Middle East and counter US and allied presence.

Key groups within the IRCC include Harakat al-Nujaba (HaN), Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH), and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).

The committee’s statement comes in response to escalating tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. The border has seen daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on October 7.

Fears of a full-scale war intensified after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced preparations for "a very tense operation" on the Lebanon border.

Iran's UN mission has warned Israel against “full-scale military offensive” in Lebanon, saying it would lead to an “obliterating war”.

“All options, [including] the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table,” the Iranian mission said in a post on its X account on Friday.

Over the weekend, Israeli forces conducted a series of attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. "Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched," said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to Washington DC.

Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised a war with "no restraint and no rules and no ceilings" if Israel initiates a major offensive against Lebanon.

The Lebanese group is believed to have amassed over 100,000 missiles, with Nasrallah frequently boasting about advanced weaponry yet to be deployed in its ongoing skirmishes with Israel.