Iran’s regional allies expressed readiness on Sunday to join any potential conflict should the United States launch a military attack against Iran, issuing stark warnings of regional escalation.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iraqi armed group within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), released a statement calling on allied fighters across the region to prepare for war. “We direct our call to the mujahideen brothers in the east and west of the world to prepare for a comprehensive war in support of and backing Iran,” al-Hamidawi said. He praised Iran for what he described as decades of support for “the oppressed and all just causes,” while accusing Israel and the United States of attempting to subjugate Tehran.
Al-Hamidawi warned that any war against Iran “will not be a picnic” and would carry severe consequences for those involved. He stated that aggressors would face “sudden death” and that the conflict would not remain contained, signaling the likelihood of a broader regional confrontation.
Similar threats were issued by Yemen’s Ansar-Allah movement, known in the West as the Houthis. In a statement attributed to military spokesman Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, the group declared that Iran “has the right to attack any new American military base established in its vicinity.” The statement further warned that, in the event of a U.S. attack on Iran, Ansar-Allah would target American naval forces, claiming it would sink U.S. warships and vessels in the Red Sea.
Kata'ib Hezbollah and Ansar-Allah are part of the broader regional alliance commonly referred to as the “Axis of Resistance,” which also includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other armed factions within Iraq’s PMF. The coalition positions itself as opposing Israeli and U.S. influence in the Middle East while expressing support for the Palestinian cause.
Kata'ib Hezbollah has long maintained close ties with Iran. Its founder and former leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed alongside Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020, an event that sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Regional tensions continue to rise amid growing speculation that a U.S. attack on Iran could be imminent. On Sunday, reports indicated that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had entered the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility after being redeployed from the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition, U.S. Air Force drills are scheduled to take place in the Middle East this week as part of a multi-day readiness exercise. While officially framed as routine, such drills can also serve as opportunities to reposition military assets ahead of potential operations without drawing immediate attention.