Iraqi Militias Supported by Iran Agree to 'Cease' Attacks on Israel 'Through Internal Agreement'

Regional media have reported that Iraqi militias supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran, while maintaining their anti-Israel positions, have agreed to 'cease' missile and drone attacks on Israel. According to the newspaper 'Al-Akhbar,' which is close to Hezbollah's proxy group in Lebanon, the leader of the Iraqi Nujaba movement confirmed to the newspaper that Tehran-aligned militias in Iraq reached an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to 'stop all military operations against Israel' and refrain from intervening in Syrian affairs. The Shiite fundamentalist Nujaba movement, led by Akram al-Kaabi, is on the U.S. government's terrorist list. According to this report, Kazem al-Fartousi, spokesman for the 'Sayed al-Shuhada Brigades,' one of the Iraqi Shiite militia groups, also stated that his group stopped attacking Israel in conjunction with the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and that 'other partners' in Iraq opposed continuing these attacks, citing 'internal and international reasons.' The groups known as 'Iraqi Resistance,' aligned with the Iranian government, sent several long-range missiles and drones towards Israel during the war between the Israeli army and extremist groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel intercepted most of these offensive aerial weapons and suffered minor damages without any casualties or injuries. However, the attacks by Iraqi militias, alongside Houthi attacks from Yemen and other Tehran-backed proxy groups in the region against Israel, put pressure on the Israeli army to confront the war campaign on multiple fronts. According to Al-Akhbar, in the negotiations between Tehran-aligned Shiite proxy groups in Iraq and the Iraqi Prime Minister that led to the commitment of these militias to cease attacks on Israel, the approaching return of Donald Trump to power in the White House, the need to reduce international pressure on the Baghdad government, and issues related to recent developments in Syria were discussed. The leader of the Nujaba movement stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has given these groups the opportunity to have 'freedom of decision-making' regarding the Syrian arena, especially as the 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' militants have taken power in that country. Last month, before the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Reuters reported that the Iraqi Prime Minister's efforts to stop attacks by Iran-linked armed groups against Israel had failed. Reuters added that Mr. al-Sudani, concerned about the consequences of Shiite militia attacks from Iraqi territory on Israel and their impact on Baghdad's relations with Washington, asked the U.S. to pressure Israel to refrain from attacking these groups in Iraq to allow for a chance to reach a solution. The newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported this week that Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, mentioned the need for the disbandment of the Hashd al-Shaabi forces in his last meeting with Mr. al-Sudani. The law for the disbandment of these groups has been approved in Iraq but has not yet been implemented. Tehran-backed militias are considered part of the Hashd al-Shaabi organization. A senior Iraqi security official also told Al-Akhbar that the Baghdad government has recently received many requests from Western countries and the international community for the disbandment of Hashd al-Shaabi, but the Iraqi Prime Minister has rejected the imposition of conditions and dictating the positions of these governments. Israeli media reported that David Barnea, the head of Mossad, has suggested to the Israeli Prime Minister to prioritize attacking Iran as the 'head of the snake' instead of focusing on attacking the Houthis in Yemen. Benny Gantz, the former Israeli Defense Minister, has also supported the implementation of this suggestion. The Israeli Prime Minister's office, which is responsible for Mossad, has neither confirmed nor denied reports regarding David Barnea's statements. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized in a message that Israel will act with strength and international coordination against the Houthis. This comes as recent Houthi missile attacks on Israel have caused building damage and injured dozens. Israeli media reported that the country's air force is preparing for a fourth attack on the Houthis in Yemen. These attacks have so far targeted critical facilities in Sana'a and other cities in Yemen. The Houthis have also announced that they will continue their attacks against Israel. Mike Waltz, Donald Trump's proposed national security advisor for the White House, stated on Sunday that the fall of Iran and its proxy groups, including Hezbollah, is a result of Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. He referred to the operation that exploded Hezbollah's pagers, emphasizing that it was 'one of the bravest and most effective covert actions in contemporary history' and would one day become an 'exciting film.' The American network CBS also aired a report on this operation in its '60 Minutes' program, introducing two Mossad agents as the main architects of the plan. The agents stated that the pagers were designed to target only the bearer. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, was killed ten days after this operation in an Israeli bombing. Waltz also noted that the fall of Iran's proxy groups has isolated Hamas, forcing the group to release Israeli hostages to survive.