The statement comes amid the ceasefire in fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. Many of Iran’s proxies appear to have also ceased their attacks, for now, against Israel and the US.
In the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria carried out 60 attacks on US forces, to which they responded several times in Syria and twice clashed with pro-Iranian groups in Iraq.
The clashes in Iraq are now in the spotlight. Qais Khazali, the head of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AHH) is viewed as a terrorist by the US. However, he is also the head of one of many militias that make up a pro-Iranian front in Iraq. These include Kataib, Hezbollah, and other groups. The groups have attacked US forces at Al-Asad base and other areas in Iraq.
Back in 2014, US forces returned to Iraq to help fight ISIS. After increased attacks by pro-Iranian groups in 2019, US forces mostly consolidated to a few facilities in Baghdad, Asad base, and Erbil - the most latter being the capital of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region. READ MORE
