A powerful Iraqi militia group, Kataib Hizbullah, has ordered its fighters to prepare for a prolonged war involving Iran and the United States, should a conflict erupt. The move signals heightened concerns about a potential escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement released Friday, February 27, 2026, Kataib Hizbullah also warned the U.S. Of “major losses” if it initiates war in the region.
A commander within the Iraqi armed group told AFP that intervention in a potential conflict targeting Iran is “very likely.”
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“Amidst American threats and a military build-up indicating a dangerous escalation in the region, It’s necessary for all fighters to prepare for a potential long war of attrition,” Kataib Hizbullah stated.
The commander, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained to AFP that Iran is strategically important to the group’s interests, and therefore any attack on Tehran “directly threatens us.”
Iraqi armed groups, many of which are subject to U.S. Sanctions, remained largely uninvolved during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel last year.
However, according to the Kataib Hizbullah commander, the group will now “reduce its restraint,” particularly if an attack aims to overthrow the Iranian regime.
Throughout months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Iran-backed Iraqi militias launched a series of attacks against U.S. Military forces stationed in the Middle East and against targets in Israel, though most of those attacks were unsuccessful.
Under pressure from the U.S. And growing domestic criticism, such attacks have subsided, and pressure has increased on those Iraqi armed groups to disarm.
Iran-backed groups in the region are part of a “axis of resistance,” which also includes Hizbullah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the Houthis in Yemen.
This week, a Hizbullah official told AFP that the group would not intervene militarily in the event of a “limited” U.S. Attack on Iran, but affirmed that any attack on Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be considered a “red line.”
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