Politics

Iran-backed Hezbollah Brigades to target US forces if Israel conducts strikes in Iraq: spokesperson

One of the border crossings allegedly on Israel’s “target list” is the Bashmakh border crossing with Iran, located in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani Province.

Baxtiyar Goran 2018/07/22 15:12

middle east Iraq US Iran Israel Hashd al-Shaabi

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An Iranian-backed militia has threatened to target United States troops in Iraq if Israel bombs any “Iranian targets” inside the country.

The spokesperson of the Iranian-backed (Kata’ib) Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq, Mohammed Muhyee, on Saturday called on the Iraqi government to protect the country’s sovereignty against any anticipated Israeli strikes.

Speaking to pro-Lebanese Hezbollah TV al-Mayadeen, Muhyee said he anticipated Israeli strikes on Iraq and encouraged the Iraqi government to respond to any possible assaults against its sovereignty.

Threatening the US’ presence in Iraq, Muhyee added that America should be blamed for any possible attacks on Iraq, claiming there will be a response from the people of Iraq toward the US.

“The US is trying to isolate Iran in the region after establishing an intelligence center in Kuwait and a new military base in western Iraq,” the spokesperson of the Shia militia group stated.

Israel has prepared a list of Iranian targets in preparation of a strike in Iraqi territory to prevent Iran from supplying weapons and equipment to Syria, Kuwait-based al-Jarida newspaper revealed on Sunday, citing anonymous sources.

The newspaper claims it obtained satellite images of the Iranian sites in Iraq, including border crossings between Iraq and Iran, which Israel intends to attack.

One of the border crossings mentioned by the Kuwaiti newspaper which is allegedly on Israel’s “target list” is the Bashmakh border crossing with Iran, located in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani Province.

Satellite images published by Kuwait-based al-Jarida newspaper showing alleged Israeli targets in Iraq.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has previously said that Iran would only pull its “military advisers” from Iraq and Syria at the request of those respective governments.

On June 18, Israel conducted airstrikes on a militia position in the Syrian town of Albu Kamal, close to the border with Iraq, killing as many as 52 Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany