(MENAFN) An Iran-aligned Iraqi armed faction has issued a stark warning to the United States, threatening retaliation if Washington takes part in the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran, according to reports.

Kataib Hezbollah’s leader, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, stated on Sunday that the group is closely tracking US military activities across the region. “We are closely monitoring the movements of the American enemy army in the region. If America intervenes in the war, we will act directly against its interests and bases in the region without hesitation,” he declared.

The US Embassy in Baghdad, meanwhile, acknowledged growing threats of violence inspired by foreign terrorist groups. It issued a security alert, urging American nationals to avoid crowded places and venues frequented by Westerners.

The latest tensions follow Israeli airstrikes in the early hours of Friday that struck several key sites in Iran. Both countries have since traded attacks, resulting in casualties and destruction.

Back in February 2024, the US military carried out a targeted operation in Iraq that killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander. That action was in retaliation for a drone assault on an American base in Jordan a month earlier, which left three US soldiers dead and over 40 injured.

MENAFN16062025000045017281ID1109679559