Kataib Hezbollah

Iraq’s militia state: Shelly Kittleson’s kidnapping exposes who runs Baghdad

BEHIND THE LINES: Since October 2023, forces associated with the PMF – that is, affiliated with the government of Iraq – engaged in ongoing attacks against US personnel and positions.

US JOURNALIST Shelly Kittleson is pictured in Baghdad on March 31, shortly before she was abducted. Her disappearance has focused attention on the threat posed by Iran-backed militias and the deteriorating security environment in postwar Iraq.
US journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a picture in Baghdad on March 31, 2026.

Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah to release abducted American journalist Shelly Kittleson

Members of the Hashd al-Shaabi gather in Basra, southern Iraq, to hold a memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, carrying Khamenei posters and Hashd al-Shaabi and Kataib Hezbollah flags while chanting slogans in support of Iran on March 08, 2026.

Iranian-backed militia in Iraq sends mixed messages about new attacks - analysis

Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026.

Fanning flames of war, Iran appears to activate Gulf terror cells as conflict expands - analysis


Iraq returns to the spotlight as Iran prods Iraqi militias to move against US forces - analysis

Iran convinced Iraqi militias to carry out attacks on US forces in Iraq between October 2023 and January, including Kataib Hezbollah's drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

 Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi militia hold the picture of the Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as they gather ahead of the funeral of the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

'Qassem Soleimani Force': What is Iran's new multi-national military force?

20% of Qassem Soleimani Forces' members are from the Houthis in Yemen, with the rest from pro-Iranian factions and groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.

 A poster of Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, is held by a protester as others hold up their weapons during a rally held to show support to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Sanaa, Yemen July 26, 2024.

US struck Iran-backed militias after new threats

Strikes in Iraq reflect an attempt by Iran to open a new front against the US after several months of quiet in Iraq.

 Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah wave the party's flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of Ramadan, in Baghdad. July 25, 2014

Iran’s militias in Iraq threaten Israel amid Houthi, Hezbollah attacks

Kataib Hezbollah and the Houthis have both slammed Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, accusing them of working with Israel.

 Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi militia hold the picture of the Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as they gather ahead of the funeral of the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

Kataib Hezbollah’s threats to Israel, Saudi are further Iranian escalations - analysis

The terror group slammed America as “evil and criminal” and accused it of “participating in the killing of the Palestinian people by supporting the Zionists..."

 Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi militia hold the picture of the Iranian Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as they gather ahead of the funeral of the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

Kataib Hezbollah to consider ending suspension of attacks on US targets - report

After a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani to the US, Kataib Hezbollah officials in the country met to discuss the potential move.

 A member of Hashd al-Shaabi (paramilitary forces) holds a flag of Kataib Hezbollah militia group during a protest to condemn air strikes on their bases, outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq December 31, 2019.

US shows no apparent strategy to counter Kataib Hezbollah's attacks

The attack on Rumeilan is significant from a number of points of view. 

 THE RESULTS OF a February 5 Iranian drone attack on a Syrian Democratic Forces training facility  at al-Omar, Deir al Zur, Syria.

Israel-Hamas War Day 199: What's going on in Gaza, Syria, Iraq?

Terror attack in Jerusalem • IDF intelligence head resigns •Kataib Hezbollah fire rockets at US military base • Fatah admits Hamas kills aid workers to steal food

 IDF troops operate in the West Bank. April 22, 2024.

US stresses respect for Iraqi sovereignty while committing to hold Iran-backed forces accountable

Kirby said if there were no attacks on US troops, there would be no need for retaliatory strikes. 

 Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi militia gather ahead of the funeral of the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad, Iraq, January 4, 2020.

Target: Kataib Hezbollah - why the latest US airstrike is a gamechanger

The killing of an Iranian-backed militia leader in Iraq will likely galvanize Iran’s allies in the country to try to expel the US.

 A member of Hashd al-Shaabi (paramilitary forces) holds a flag of Kataib Hezbollah militia group during a protest to condemn air strikes on their bases, outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq December 31, 2019.