Daily Times

Iran has not hesitated from warning the US of “consequences” after it targeted an Iran-backed militia in Iraq. Unlike the previous airstrikes and missile attacks in Syria and Iraq, purportedly carried out by Israel on Iranian targets, Tehran did not stay quiet. The recent attack on the Kataib Hezbollah, a militia group under the Tehran-backed Popular Mobilisation Force in Iraq, claimed 25 lives and left 51 others wounded. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abbas Mosavi said, “The US has openly shown its support to terrorism and shown its negligence to the independence and national sovereignty of countries. It must accept responsibility of the consequences of the illegal attacks.” The US struck five installations of the militia in Syria and Iraq after an attack on US troops in Iraq in which one contractor was killed. Even though the Pentagon called the attack “precision defensive strikes” to “degrade group’s ability to conduct future attacks against coalition forces”, the attack points to a shift in the US policy in Iraq, where 5,000 of its troops are stationed, mainly on Iraqi government’s request to train the army. Earlier, the Popular Mobilisation Force mainly targeted al Qaeda and anti-government militants, backed by Daesh. The last week’s missile strike, which killed the US contractor, was not claimed by Kataib Hezbollah. “Our battle with America and its mercenaries is now open to all possibilities,” Kataeb Hezbollah said in a statement. “We have no alternative today other than confrontation and there is nothing that will prevent us from responding to this crime.”

It seems Iran-backed militias have lost the support of the Iraqi government in the new set up, led by Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who resigned last month, and now acts as caretaker prime minister. Mahdi said he had been conveyed about the attack about a half-hour before the US strikes and that he asked the US defense secretary to call off the plan. But to no avail. The attack may escalate tension in the region, where both arch-rivals came face to face last summer after the US troop buildup and the shooting down of a US drone. On another occasion, when Saudi installations were attacked inside the kingdom, allegedly by Iran, it seemed Iran and the US would be engaged in a bloody clash. Sanity prevailed, however, and things got back to a new normal. Hopefully, both sides will exercise caution this time as well. The US should refrain from such strikes, while Iran must reconsider its policy of backing militias in other countries. *