by Corrine Baum
These speculations come after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised a "crushing response" to Israel's October 26 attack.
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Haidar al-Lami, a member of the political bureau of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iraqi terrorist militia, said that his organization was coordinating with Iran to strike Israel in a Saturday interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.
Al-Nujaba, a US-designated terrorist group, is "fully coordinated with Iran to organize the timing and location of this response," al-Lami told the Lebanese news organization.
He also told Al-Ahkbar that "the Islamic Republic has the right to target the Zionist entity from anywhere within Iraq."
He added that "the Islamic Resistance has not ceased its operations targeting critical sites within the entity [Israel].” He predicted that in the next round of blows, “the resistance will use more advanced missiles, in line with the anticipated escalation."
Another unnamed political official told Al-Ahkbar that "Iran possesses the capability to retaliate against Israel from anywhere, and it is by no means incapable."
Khamenei promises 'crushing response'
Al-Lami's interview comes after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini promised a "crushing response" to Israel's October 26 attack on Iranian military infrastructure. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Iran's attack is expected to occur "in coming days," according to an anonymous senior Israeli official briefed on the matter.
According to al-Lami, his organization views the Israeli attack as a transgression.
"The Zionist entity, by attacking Iran, violated Iraqi airspace and international norms, with cooperation from the United States, despite its strategic framework agreement with Iraq and other security arrangements," al-Lami told Al-Akhbar.
"The current priority is to target Israel first, followed by US bases, as diplomacy and dialogue have proven ineffective, leaving only the language of strength and arms."
Axios reported that the Iranian attack could be launched from Iraq and might use a significant amount of drones and ballistic missiles. The attack could reportedly happen before the November 5 US presidential Elections.
The unnamed political official quoted in the Al-Akhbar article said, "Israel's assumption that a response might come from Iraqi soil is rooted in the close ties between Iran and armed factions in Iraq, which now have the capacity to strike deep into Israel.”
Iraqi officials nervously await
The official Iraqi government is wary of escalation as it does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Reuters reported that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's government is wary of regional conflicts that would affect its relations with the US and Iran, two of its allies.
However, Reuters noted that the Kataib Hezbollah and Nujaba groups, which are leading the attacks on Israel, have warned the Iraqi prime minister against pressuring them to halt their actions.
In the Al-Ahkbar article, the unidentified official stated that "if Iran retaliates from Iraqi territory, the Iraqi government will face a serious dilemma, as such action could significantly widen the scope of the conflict and provide justification for Israel to strike sites in Iraq."
The official went on to note that “any response from Iraq would require coordination and notifying the Iraqi government, which seeks to maintain peace, not ignite war."
Reuters contributed to this report.
Corrine Baum
Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-827248
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