Iraqi resistance factions will intervene if Hezbollah threatened Baghdad alerts Damascus

Iraq has delivered an official warning to Syria against intervening in Lebanon, warning that any moves targeting Hezbollah could trigger military retaliation from Baghdad-backed paramilitaries, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported on Saturday, July 18, citing informed sources.

The diplomatic warning comes amid coordinated pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, lobbying Damascus to assist in neutralising Hezbollah's regional influence.

According to the report, Baghdad explicitly notified Damascus that unilateral Syrian actions in Lebanon would carry direct ramifications for its own domestic stability. The Iraqi leadership emphasised that if threats to Lebanese Shiites or Hezbollah emerge from Syrian soil, "Iraqi resistance factions will not stand aside," and warned that any hostile Syrian manoeuvres could prompt immediate counter-actions from Iraqi groups.

In addition to the explicit security warnings, Baghdad outlined broader geopolitical hazards for Syria, noting that joining a coalition against Hezbollah would derail its ongoing post-war stabilisation efforts and jeopardise the normalisation of diplomatic relations with neighbouring regional states.

The publication further detailed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed Washington had formally pressed Damascus to adopt an adversarial posture against Hezbollah and intervene directly in the Lebanese gridlock. According to Al Akhbar's sources, the Syrian president rejected the American proposal, opting to maintain Damascus's current alignment.

By Tamilla Hasanova