update deskIsrael at War

Sa’ar calls for ‘immediate action’ against Iranian-backed Iraqi militias

Israel's foreign minister sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council warning that the attacks could "further drag the region in a very dangerous escalation."

Members of Kata’ib Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of Fadel al-Maksusi, a terrorist who was also part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, on Nov. 21, 2023. Photo by Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images.
Members of Kata’ib Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of Fadel al-Maksusi, a terrorist who was also part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, on Nov. 21, 2023. Photo by Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has called on the United Nations Security Council to take “immediate action” against the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq launching drones and missiles at the Jewish state.

In a letter sent to the UNSC president for November, U.K. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Sa’ar expressed “grave concern over the significant increase in the frequency and the intensity of attacks on Israel conducted by the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq” since September.

Sa’ar warned that the attacks were a “blatant violation of the U.N. Charter and International Law and have the potential to further drag the region in a very dangerous escalation while posing a significant threat to international peace and security.”

Jerusalem holds Baghdad responsible for all activity that emanates from its territory, Sa’ar stressed, noting that Israel’s right to self-defense is enshrined in the U.N. Charter.

“I called on the Security Council to act urgently to make sure that the Iraqi government meets its obligations under international law and to make these attacks on Israel stop,” he tweeted.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani dismissed Jerusalem’s complaint as a “pretext and argument to attack Iraq” and to “expand the war in the region” in a statement on Tuesday.

Al-Sudani’s office claimed that Baghdad has refused to enter into the regional conflict with the Jewish state while “seeking to provide relief to the Palestinian and Lebanese people.”

Israel has already warned the Iraqi government that unless it reins in the militias, it faces Israeli strikes on its territory, the Saudi website Elaph reported earlier this month.

Unnamed officials told Elaph that satellites were monitoring the movement of ballistic missiles and related equipment from Iran to Iraq, which could be used in an attack on Israel.

Iraqi sources expressed concern to the outlet that Tehran could be using Iraq to shift the fighting away from its territory.

The AP reported recently that Israel is under daily drone attacks from Iraq, which the United States and its partners have had to intercept.

According to the report, the UAV launches have been a problem since the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023, and are not related to any Iranian attack. However, a regional security official said that the drone attacks have increased in recent weeks, with an average of five a day and eight drones launched over a 24-hour period in the past week.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is an umbrella organization composed of several Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhadaa. These groups operate both in Iraq and Syria under IRGC command.

Sa’ar praises EU’s sanctions on Iran

Sa’ar on Tuesday tweeted praise for the European Union’s decision the previous day to slap sanctions on Iran for providing military assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine and to Tehran’s regional terror proxies at war with Israel.

“I welcome the decision made yesterday by the E.U. foreign ministers to impose severe sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Sa’ar wrote.

“These sanctions will disrupt Iran’s missile and UAV production processes, hinder the shipment of Iranian weapons to conflict zones, and increase economic pressure on the Ayatollah regime,” he continued. “These are essential measures in the international community’s fight against the Iranian threat, which poses the greatest danger to the security and stability of the Middle East, Europe and the entire world.”

According to the E.U. Council, the sanctions will target ports and ships involved in transporting Iranian missiles and drones.

The sanctions specifically target the Amirabad and Anzali ports on the Caspian Sea,  the National Iranian Shipping Line (IRISL) and its head, Mohammad Reza Hiabani.

Also sanctioned were three Russian shipping companies—MG Flot, VTS Broker and Arapax. They are accused of transporting Iranian-made weapons and ammunition, including drone components, across the Caspian Sea to resupply Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

On Oct. 14, the E.U. imposed sanctions on seven individuals and seven organizations in Iran responsible for transporting missiles and drones to Russia. They include Saha Airlines, Mahan Air, Iran Air and several Iranian officials.

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