The Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah terror group in Iraq has said it would support the Houthis in more attacks on Israel. This statement comes amid reports that the Houthis and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq want to conduct more “joint” operations against Israel.
In the wake of the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv on July 19, the Houthis and Iraqi militias have sought to highlight how they might increase their threats to the region.
Kataib Hezbollah and the Houthis have both slammed Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, accusing them of working with Israel. They use similar language in their condemnation of Saudi Arabia and regional Arab states.
In addition, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of pro-Iranian militias, claimed, on July 24, that it had targeted Eilat. The pro-Iranian Al-Mayadeen reported that “similarly, the Resistance in Iraq is conducting joint operations with the Yemeni Armed Forces to target the occupied Palestinian territories.
Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen, confirmed in his speeches that ‘These joint operations between the Yemeni army and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have had a direct and significant impact on the enemy,’ emphasizing that they will continue and escalate.”
Drone attacks
The reports of the joint work of the Iraqi militias and Houthis come amid escalation by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has continued its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. Al-Mayadeen news network reported that a “squadron of the Islamic resistance [Hezbollah] drones from Lebanon entered the West Galilee region in northern occupied Palestine and sirens sounded in the Zionist settlements.”
The attacks on northern Israel wounded a soldier recently. It also appears Hezbollah is increasing the range of its attacks. This would coincide with the Iranian attempt to push the Houthis and Iraqi militias to expand their attacks.