Iraq’s Kata'ib Hezbollah threatens decisive response if US attacks Iran

A senior security official of Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq has sharply criticized Washington’s recent military posture toward Iran, warning that any American attack could trigger serious consequences across the region, Press TV reports.

In a message posted on Telegram, Abu Ali al-Askari, the security chief of Kata'ib Hezbollah, said that threats issued by US President Donald Trump, alongside expanded US naval deployments and reinforced American bases in the region, indicate “clear preparations for a new act of aggression against the Islamic Republic and its sovereign capabilities.”

Al-Askari argued that the US military buildup reflects a deliberate escalation rather than a defensive posture. He added that preparations for a potential strike on Iran through Syrian territory and Iraq’s Kurdistan region are intensifying and could escalate into a ground incursion.

He warned that any attempt to use Iraqi territory as a corridor for an attack on Iran would constitute a serious violation of regional sovereignty and would be met with decisive resistance. Addressing Kurdish groups in northern Iraq, al-Askari urged “restraint and responsibility,” cautioning against involvement in what he described as reckless, American-driven military operations that could destabilize the region and produce “severe and lasting consequences.”

Separately, Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Iraq’s National Wisdom Movement, called for de-escalation through diplomacy while indirectly criticizing coercive policies. He warned that attempts to impose political will by force undermine international law and threaten global peace.

“Escalation benefits only the merchants of wars and crises, while the peoples of the region bear the cost of insecurity and economic hardship,” al-Hakim said. He emphasized that Iran’s stability is “a cornerstone of regional order” and urged the US to reject what he described as adventurist rhetoric pushing the region toward confrontation.

Al-Hakim noted that regional leaders have repeatedly reminded Washington that military escalation serves no constructive purpose and risks plunging an already fragile region into renewed conflict.

In recent weeks, the US has bolstered its military presence near Iran, deploying additional aircraft carriers and warships to the Persian Gulf, increasing bomber rotations, and reinforcing air defence systems at bases across the region.

Tehran has repeatedly warned that any attack will be met with a “strong and decisive response,” with senior Iranian commanders stating that US bases and assets across the region would be targeted immediately if Iran’s territory were struck, underscoring the country’s reliance on deterrence as its guiding principle.

The US military buildup coincides with preparations for the third round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and Washington, scheduled to take place in Geneva in the coming days.

By Vafa Guliyeva