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<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">Iraq’s resistance enters the war with new targets, advanced weapons</h1><p class="gmail-">The
Iraqi resistance is becoming a key player in the Resistance Axis,
coordinating with Yemeni forces, intensifying strikes on a wider range
of Israeli targets, and keen to reshape the war’s trajectory.</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/khalil-nasrallah" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">Khalil Nasrallah</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span>OCT 9, 2024 - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/iraqs-resistance-enters-the-war-with-new-targets-advanced-weapons">https://thecradle.co/articles/iraqs-resistance-enters-the-war-with-new-targets-advanced-weapons</a></font></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/a2e3a652-864f-11ef-85d1-00163e02c055.jpeg" alt="" width="435" height="206" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span>(Photo Credit: The Cradle)</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span><p>A year on since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/7822">Iraqi resistance</a> has
entered a new phase in its support for Gaza – and now Lebanon – with
its operations taking on a more significant role in the widening
regional war. These actions are not merely symbolic; the leadership of
the resistance in Iraq has been focused on escalating its activities to
pressure decision-makers in Tel Aviv.</p><p>Over the past 12 months, the
Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI) has refined its tactics and upgraded
its weaponry, ensuring that its strikes on both <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27019">southern</a> and <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27082">northern</a> parts of Israel, particularly in Eilat, achieve tangible results.</p><p><strong>Resistance unity and a multi-front strategy</strong></p><p>The IRI’s most notable attack occurred on <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27156">4 October 2024</a> when
a military base in the northern Golan was hit, killing two Israeli
soldiers and injuring 24 others from the “elite” Golani Brigade.</p><p>A week before the operation, Ali al-Mahdi, an Iraqi resistance commander, was <a href="https://al-akhbar.com/Politics/387383/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D9%88">quoted</a> as saying:</p><blockquote><p>The
armed factions have the full capacity and readiness in terms of
fighters, weapons, and drones to fight a long war on a regional level.
Therefore, any development in Hezbollah’s war with the entity will
directly drag the factions into an open war without red lines … The
resistance is fully prepared if it is necessary to go to Lebanon, or to
continue carrying out strikes deep inside Israel with long-range
missiles.</p></blockquote><p>Despite facing significant internal
challenges and external pressures, the Iraqi resistance has been
resolute about refusing to step back from the broader mission of taking
part in the “<a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/26355">Unity of Fronts</a>.”
This strategy refers to the coordinated efforts across the region’s
Axis of Resistance, targeting the occupation state and US military sites
on multiple fronts.</p><p><strong>Phases of escalation</strong></p><p>Phase
one of the IRI’s military operations commenced shortly after Israel
declared war on Gaza. At this point, resistance work focused on two
primary targets: US military bases in Syria and Iraq and Israeli
positions in southern occupied Palestine. Although the strikes on
Israeli targets were initially limited, this phase marked the beginning
of a broader strategy.</p><p>The second phase followed a truce on 2
February in which the Iraqi resistance faction Kataib Hezbollah
responded to internal pressures by <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/21328">temporarily halting</a> attacks on US bases and targets following a major operation at the <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/7815">Al-Tanf</a> base.</p><p>In
spite of this pause, Iraq’s resistance factions significantly stepped
up their strikes on Israeli targets, using both drones and Al-Arqab
cruise missiles to hit Israel’s northern and southern regions. These
strikes became more effective as the IRI began to employ advanced
weaponry, such as drones and cruise missiles, forcing Israel to
acknowledge the threat posed by resistance forces to the east.</p><p>The
third phase unfolded about a month after pausing operations against US
bases and involved closer and direct cooperation with <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25901">Yemeni forces</a>.
Together, in March, they launched joint operations targeting Israeli
ships, the major Mediterranean port of Haifa, and other critical
infrastructure – joint efforts that were part of Sanaa’s own “<a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24772">fourth phase of escalation</a>.”</p><p>This
phase highlighted the growing military coordination not only between
the Iraqi resistance and Yemeni forces but also among the various
factions aligned within West Asia’s Axis of Resistance.</p><p>Currently, the Iraqi resistance has entered its fourth phase, which is focusing on <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/26966">striking</a>
deeper into Israeli territorial depth, with an emphasis on northern
areas of occupied Palestine. This escalation has coincided with Israel’s
destructive attacks across <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/26990">Lebanon</a> and the disruption of Hezbollah’s <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/after-nasrallah-command-and-control-in-rapid-recovery">command and control</a> structure with the targeted assassinations of secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and other senior commanders.</p><p>What sets this phase apart is the increased frequency and intensity of attacks, as well as the introduction of <a href="https://english.news.cn/20241004/4c6340721eaa4a5e804ad8410d394f6a/c.html">advanced drones</a> and weaponry into the conflict. On 3 October, the Iraqi resistance announced that they <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27082">targeted</a> a critical site in the southern occupied territories.</p><p><strong>Iraq asserts itself in the Axis</strong></p><p>The
continuation and intensification of these operations by the Iraqi
resistance are aimed at achieving several strategic objectives. First,
the resistance seeks to reaffirm its rising position within the Axis of
Resistance, which is dedicated to preserving the unity of regional
efforts against Israel and preventing its fragmentation by external
forces, particularly the US.</p><p>Second, it aims to pressure
decision-makers in Tel Aviv to halt the aggression against Gaza and
Lebanon. Third, the resistance wants to keep Israel under constant
threat, reminding it that it is vulnerable to attacks from the eastern
front.</p><p>Finally, the operations are intended to signal to the US
that the resistance is undeterred and may resume targeting American
bases if provoked, particularly if US forces escalate their involvement
in <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27189">support</a> of the occupation state.</p><p>There
is little doubt that Washington is applying maximum pressure on the
Iraqi government to rein in the IRI, as it did before the 2 February
truce. But this time, Iraq’s resistance is mainly targeting Israel,
which makes the US persuasion mission more difficult.</p><p>There seems
little possibility of retreat at this stage, regardless of the pressure
applied, particularly after Tel Aviv’s assassination of Nasrallah. The
longtime Hezbollah leader is considered a beloved symbol of the
resistance in Iraq, and the IRI feels more obligated than ever to
demonstrate loyalty to him and to his organization’s essential role in
supporting the Iraqis when they were invaded by ISIS. While ISIS was
terrorizing wide swathes of Iraq, Lebanon’s Hezbollah sent fighters and
cadres to support Iraqis and even participated in the confrontation.</p><p><strong>Another front for Israel</strong></p><p>Tel
Aviv, already stretched thin by conflicts on seven fronts, is expected
to attempt strikes on the Iraqi resistance when the opportunity arises.
However, Israel is currently preoccupied with its ongoing war against
Hezbollah in Lebanon and its broader confrontation with Iran, making
direct engagement with the Iraqi resistance less likely for the time
being.</p><p>Still, the recent successful strike on the Golan Heights
serves as a reminder of what Iraqis are prepared to do if the conflict
escalates further. The leadership of the IRI is fully aware of the
potential for Israeli retaliation, especially considering <a href="https://thedefensepost.com/2019/09/30/iraq-israel-pmu-base-strikes-abdul-mahdi/">past Israeli strikes</a>, such as those in 2019, which targeted sectors of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).</p><p>As
the occupation state continues with its unprecedented aggressions
against the region, the resistance understands that the outcome of this
conflict will have far-reaching consequences for West Asia as a whole.
Iraq, as an integral part of the region, is deeply intertwined with
these developments.</p><p>The Iraqi resistance recognizes that its role
in this war extends beyond defending Gaza and Lebanon. It understands
that the current battle is a pivotal moment in the struggle for power in
West Asia and that Baghdad is a <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25884">key player</a> in shaping the region’s future.</p><p>With
this in mind, Iraq’s resistance appears committed to escalating its
military operations, diversifying its tactics, and introducing more
advanced weapons into the fight, knowing that the results of this
conflict will reverberate throughout the region.</p></span></div></div></div></div>
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