Iran-backed group silent on US strikes as Iraq warned of war fallout
Shafaq News/ Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iran-backed Iraqi faction, on Sunday declined to comment on the latest US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, amid growing fears that Baghdad could become a direct battleground in the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
The group's spokesperson, Sheikh Kazem al-Fartousi, told Shafaq News that there is currently 'no official position' on the latest developments. He stressed that the war 'has not stopped,' emphasizing Iran's right to respond to any aggression.
'The United States remains fully involved in the military escalation.'
Meanwhile, politician Aed al-Hilali cautioned that Washington's deepening involvement in the conflict could draw Iraq into a dangerous regional showdown. 'With the US expanding its military role, Iraq now stands at a crossroads,' he told our agency. 'Armed factions have vowed to enter the fight, and their statements are not mere rhetoric—they signal the possibility of Iraq becoming a frontline in this conflict.'
If these factions act on their threats, Al-Hilali explained, Iraq could face severe consequences. 'Such a move would exact a high price from Iraq's security, economy, and possibly its national unity. These groups possess significant firepower and organizational strength, but acting independently of the state will strip Iraq of what remains of its sovereignty and turn its territory into a theater for foreign score-settling.'
He stressed that US military installations in Iraq would inevitably come under fire, triggering retaliatory strikes. 'This catastrophic scenario would place Baghdad between two warring allies, accelerating Iraq's international isolation and undermining the government's diplomatic efforts.'
The politician further emphasized that Iraq should refrain from fighting on behalf of others, urging the government to assert its sovereignty and prevent any internal or external actor from dragging the country into a war that serves no national interest.
The warning follows a wave of US airstrikes early Sunday targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—described by President Donald Trump as 'precise and successful.' Iran had previously warned that any US intervention in its conflict with Israel would prompt retaliatory strikes on American interests across the Middle East.
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