Kataib Hezbollah

Iranian-backed militia in Iraq sends mixed messages about new attacks - analysis

Kataib Hezbollah said it might pause attacks on US targets in Iraq, but its strict and unlikely conditions suggest strikes could resume soon.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Hashd al-Shaabi gather in Basra, southern Iraq, to hold a memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, carrying Khamenei posters and Hashd al-Shaabi and Kataib Hezbollah flags while chanting slogans in support of Iran on March 08, 2026.
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026.

Fanning flames of war, Iran appears to activate Gulf terror cells as conflict expands - analysis

Iran may be turning to local groups and terrorist cells to fan the flames of war in the region.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A man lifts a placard depicting slain Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani (L) and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis during a Baghdad funeral march rally for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, led by Kataib Hezbollah, December 4, 2023; illustrative.

Senior Iran-backed Iraqi militia official killed, Kataib Hezbollah not confirming circumstances

Kataib Hezbollah confirms the death of Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior member and militia spokesperson, who frequently criticized the US and Israel, while not confirming the cause of his death.

|ByJAMES GENN
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026.

Iran targets Kurdistan Region in Iraq, seeks to make it a war zone - analysis

Iran attacks Kurdish groups in Iraq, using militias to strike US forces and neighbors, seeking to turn Iraq into a strategic buffer zone against uprisings in Kurdish areas of Iran.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Israeli Jewish woman remains kidnapped in Iraq as Iraqi PM at UNGA 

Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped six months ago in Baghdad.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in Iraq earlier this year by Iranian-backed terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah.