Report: Iranian-backed militias in Iraq halt attacks on Israel

The Lebanese al-Akhbar network reported on Monday that it had received confirmation from a leader in the Al-Nujaba militia in Iraq that the Iranian-backed militias in the country have agreed to stop their offensive against Israel.

According to the report, the “resistance factions” have reached an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani to cease attacks on Israel and remain silent on the current developments in Syria.

The militia leader told al-Akhbar that the militias decided not to interfere in Syrian affairs and “to follow the situation from a distance, in addition to waiting to know the orientations of the US President-elect, Donald Trump, and his policy towards the Middle East, specifically Iran.”

The leader noted that the militias’ Iranian backers granted them the freedom to decide regarding Syria.

He pointed out that “the armed factions adhered to the words of the Iraqi government, especially after what happened in Syria, which says that there may be an intention to drag the country into a scenario worse than the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which may lead to the return of terrorism to Iraq again.”

The report also quoted a spokesman for the Sayyed al-Shuhada Brigades militia, Kazem al-Fartousi, who said that the militias’ attacks on Israel were “linked to the operations of the Lebanese Hezbollah. When the ceasefire was reached in Lebanon, the operations of the Iraqi factions stopped.” He added, “There are also partners in Iraq who have an opinion and reservations about those operations, and they must be listened to.”

While not as vocal as other parties such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, or Iran itself, the Iraqi militias have been behind several drone and missile attacks on Israel since the war began. In September, the militias launched two drones at the city of Eilat. One of the UAVs was intercepted outside of Israeli airspace and the other struck a building in the city. Fires broke out in the city’s port and near the Herod’s Hotel as a result of falling shrapnel and two individuals were lightly wounded.