The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried attacks against Israel in the past few days, including the latest: drones that were intercepted and shot down by Israel’s air force. In the event of a ground invasion of Lebanon, the group is ready to join the fighting. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the 94-year-old Shia cleric is urging aid for the Lebanese population, but ordinary people fear an escalation that could favour the return of the Islamic State.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – In the war launched by Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which involves the entire country in a conflict with potentially catastrophic consequences, the risk of a regional escalation is more than a possibility as evinced by the involvement of pro-Shia Iraqi groups.

The Islamic Resistance movement in Iraq has in fact fired Al'Arqab cruise missiles at Israeli targets. Similar attacks took place recently in response to the ongoing war in Gaza, but have now extended to "the oppressed peoples of Palestine and Lebanon,” this according to a statement reported Iran-based Mehr News Agency (MNA).

“[W]e targeted a vital target in the north of the occupied territories with the Arqab cruise missile," the statement reads. Overnight, the group launched two drones that travelled through Syrian airspace and entered Israeli territory from the Golan Heights, setting off sirens in Ein Zivan and Merom Golan around 3 am.

Upon crashing on land, probably shot down by Israel fighter fighters, the unmanned aerial vehicles sparked fires in open areas, without causing damage to infrastructure or people.

The main groups that make up the Islamic Resistance in Iraq warn that, in the event of a ground invasion of Lebanon by Israel, they are ready to enter the conflict "directly" on the side of Hezbollah and confront the Israeli troops.

At present, the group’s operations are limited compared to the attacks against Lebanon or the war in Gaza, but are a sign that the conflict is widening, involving countries that do not border Israel, or at least Shia groups linked to Iran (and Hezbollah).

In Iraq, the possible involvement of the country in the war between Israel and Lebanon is raising concerns, with some afraid that it might derail its fragile recovery after years of war and instability, with the Islamic State still a threat.

For Basil, a 40-year-old taxi driver from Salah al-Din, “Entering the war would be madness itself,” a view echoed in the al Mashhad newspaper.

“We still fear the return of Islamic State,” reads an editorial published yesterday. “Entering the war would give this organisation a chance to return again,” it goes on to say.

"War means the end of the educational process, which is still suffering from difficult crises,” noted Elham, a 44-year-old Arabic language teacher in southern Baghdad, speaking to local media. “We are trying to revive the educational process, but wars seem to be chasing us, preventing us from moving forward.”

Another Iraqi, Saif al-Azzawi, warns that the country's involvement in the war in Lebanon could lead to the collapse of the current political system. "What we will witness in 2025 will be an Iraq different from its predecessor, and foreign interventions in Iraq's affairs will begin if it is drawn into the war against Israel," he said.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani also voiced concerns about the impact of such a war on the region. In a rare and unusual public intervention, Iraq’s highest Shia authority made an appeal in favour of a Lebanon, noting that it was in danger of turning into "another Gaza”.

In his statement, Al-Sistani called for “the exercise of every possible effort” to end this “barbaric aggression and to protect the Lebanese people”. The 94-year-old urged “believers” to “contribute towards easing the suffering” of the Lebanese people and help “meet their humanitarian needs”.

At the same time, he expressed hope that “every possible effort" will be undertaken to put an end to the Israeli "aggression" against Lebanon, which has been subjected in the past few days to a relentless bombing campaign against Hezbollah targets but is also hitting non-military targets and killing civilians.

Al-Sistani's statement is another sign that governments as well as religious and civilian authorities in the Middle East region are concerned about the escalation.

After all, Iraq is closely following events as an interested observer since its government is dominated by pro-Iran parties with strong ties to Lebanon, especially, Hezbollah.

This also explains why Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani is said to have “instructed” the country’s military to support the Lebanese people. The latter includes extending or renewing entry visas to Lebanese nationals in Iraq, exempting Lebanese from expulsion if their status is irregular, and granting visa-free entry to Lebanese at the border or other points of entry.

In addition, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has called for an Arab and Islamic summit to coordinate a unified intervention to put an end to Israeli "aggression", as well as airlift more aid to the Lebanese population.

• iraq
• lebanon
• israel
• gaza
• palestine
• syria
• hezbollah
• war
• islamic resistance in iraq