The U.S. State Department announced today

Parisa Nasrabadi

The U.S. State Department announced today, in a statement, that it has placed four Iraqi resistance factions—under the label “four Iran-aligned paramilitary groups”—on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

The statement listed the following four factions: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (A), Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (A).

The statement also read:

“Iran, as the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism (!), continues to provide support that enables these armed groups to carry out planned, facilitated, or direct attacks across Iraq. These Iran-aligned militias have launched attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and on bases hosting U.S. and coalition forces, often using fictitious names or proxy groups to conceal their true role.”

The significance of this move lies in the fact that it suggests the United States may be seeking to prepare the ground and grant legitimacy for launching broad and multi-faceted attacks on Iraq and confronting its resistance factions. Whether the U.S. intends to engage directly and actively in such operations, or limit itself to coordinating and supporting the army of the Israeli terrorist entity, remains unclear.

Yesterday as well, Al-Manar news site quoted Iraqi sources as saying that the Iraqi intelligence service assessed that Tel Aviv is considering the possibility of opening a new front in the region, with Iraq being one of the main potential options amid current developments.

The report added that Israel claims Iraq constitutes “a major hub of Iranian activity,” and that according to this information, Baghdad is considered a strategic depth for Hezbollah in Lebanon, making Iraq a potential target in any upcoming regional confrontation.