Hezbollah Targets Israeli Troops on Lebanese Border, Sirens Sound in Northern Israel
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 9, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT
Hezbollah Targets Israeli Troops on Lebanese Border, Sirens Sound in Northern Israel
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 9, 2024. (AFP)
Hezbollah fighters targeted Israeli soldiers near the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh with artillery shells and rockets on Wednesday, the group said, a day after Israel said it had killed two successors to Hezbollah's slain leader.
The Iran-backed group, which has been launching rockets against Israel for a year in parallel with the Gaza war and is now fighting it in ground clashes, said it had pushed the troops back.
The escalation in Lebanon and the ongoing one-year-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has raised fears of a wider Middle East conflict that could suck in Iran and Israel's superpower ally the United States.
The Israeli military said three of its troops were severely injured on Tuesday and Wednesday during combat in southern Lebanon. Sirens sounded in northern Israel on Wednesday morning after Israel renewed bombing of Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, overnight.
The conflict in Lebanon has escalated dramatically in recent weeks as Israel has carried out a string of assassinations of top Hezbollah leaders and launched ground operations into southern Lebanon that expanded further this week.
An Israeli military spokesperson declined to say how many troops were in Lebanon, but the military has announced four divisions are operating on the border, meaning that thousands of soldiers are deployed.
Overnight, Israel again bombed Beirut's southern suburbs and said it had killed a figure responsible for budgeting and logistics, Suhail Hussein Husseini.
The suburbs, once a densely-populated and thriving district, has been emptied of many of its residents by Israeli evacuation warnings. Many Lebanese draw parallels between the warnings and those seen in Gaza over the last year, prompting fears that Beirut could face the same scale of destruction.
BIDEN-NETANYAHU CALL
US President Joe Biden is expected to speak on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a person familiar with the matter, with talks set to include discussion of any plans to strike Iran.
The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's response to a missile attack from Iran last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel's military escalation in Lebanon. The Iranian attack ultimately killed no one in Israel and Washington called it ineffective.
Israel's retaliation will be a key subject of the call, with Washington hoping to weigh in on whether the response is appropriate, a separate person briefed on the discussions said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Biden has said he would think about alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields if he were in Israel's shoes. Last week, he also said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites.
The bombardment has left more than 2,100 people dead in Lebanon, most of them in the last two weeks, and displaced roughly 1.2 million across the country.
Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israeli airstrikes had killed two successors to Hezbollah's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli air attack on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27.
Netanyahu did not name them, but Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hashem Safieddine, the man expected to succeed Nasrallah, had probably been "eliminated". It was not clear whom Netanyahu meant by the second replacement.
Later, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel knew Safieddine was in Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters when fighter jets bombed it last week and Safieddine's status was "being checked and when we know, we will inform the public."
Safieddine has not been heard from since that strike.
Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Tuesday the group's capabilities were intact despite the "painful blows" inflicted by Israel's mounting military pressure.
Qassem said the group endorsed efforts by Lebanon's speaker of parliament and Hezbollah ally to secure a ceasefire, and conspicuously left out an oft-repeated condition of the group - that a Gaza ceasefire would have to be reached before Hezbollah put down its arms.
Netanyahu's office declined to comment on Qassem's remarks.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing in Washington that Hezbollah had "changed their tune and want a ceasefire" because the group is "on the back foot and is getting battered" on the battlefield.
Hezbollah is the most formidably armed of Iran's proxy forces across the Middle East and has been acting in support of Palestinian fighters Israel in Gaza.
The heightened regional tensions kindled a year ago by Palestinian armed group Hamas' attack from Gaza on southern Israel have escalated to include Lebanon and prompt several direct confrontations between Israel and Iran.
On Oct. 1, Iran fired missiles at Israel. On Tuesday, Iran warned Israel not to follow through on threats of retaliation.
Baghdad: An Intelligence Battleground in Iran’s Latest Warhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5254667-baghdad-intelligence-battleground-iran%E2%80%99s-latest-war
A flag of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades (Kataib Hezbollah), flutters against the backdrop of people taking a swing ride at an amusement park during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Baghdad on March 21, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Baghdad: An Intelligence Battleground in Iran’s Latest War
A flag of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades (Kataib Hezbollah), flutters against the backdrop of people taking a swing ride at an amusement park during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Baghdad on March 21, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Within days of the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Quds Force officers began arriving in Iraq to oversee “attrition operations” and establish a support command for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The move reflects contingency planning for possible escalation inside Tehran.
At the same time, Baghdad has become a hub for espionage activity, with intelligence operations unfolding alongside the military conflict, according to sources cited by Asharq Al-Awsat. Sources report that in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, communication between Iranian operatives and Iraqi militia leaders was briefly disrupted before being restored by the third day of the war, on March 3, 2026.
Iranian officers entered Iraq in stages to supervise attacks against US interests and allied targets. They are supported by long-established Iranian advisers inside Iraq who coordinate networks of armed groups across multiple factions. According to political and security sources, the strategy aims to “spread instability in areas hosting US interests” and ultimately “consolidate Iranian influence over Iraq after the war.”
Some analysts, however, view the operations as defensive, to protect missile and drone stockpiles supplied by Tehran for later use. They note that Iraqi militias lack the capacity for large-scale strategic warfare compared with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Sources familiar with meetings among Iran-aligned factions say Iranian officers have established an operations room in Baghdad to create a new deterrence framework against US forces and potentially serve as a fallback command center if conditions worsen in Tehran. Despite these efforts, Iranian activities in Baghdad have reportedly been exposed, leading to deadly strikes attributed to the United States that caused casualties among Iranian personnel.
Aftermath of Khamenei’s Killing
The first wave of Quds Force officers is believed to have arrived shortly after Khamenei’s death on Feb. 28, 2026. Iraqi sources suggest some personnel had already been deployed earlier, including operatives traveling on Iraqi and Lebanese passports who also moved to Beirut.
Shortly after Khamenei’s death, the umbrella group known as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” launched a series of attacks, claiming responsibility for 16 operations involving dozens of drones both inside and outside Iraq.
The network includes major militias such as Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, as well as smaller groups that emerge during periods of escalation, including Ashab al-Kahf and Saraya Awliya al-Dam. These are widely seen as front organizations for Iran-backed factions.
A protester in Baghdad holds a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after the announcement of his death on February 28 (Reuters)
Once communications were restored, Iraqi officials sought clarity from Iranian counterparts about the trajectory of the conflict. According to one official, the response was that the Iranian leadership was focused primarily on retaliation and targeting US forces. Iranian officers have since established themselves in secure locations across Baghdad, Najaf, Diyala, and Basra, with Iraqi factions providing protection and logistical support. A senior militia figure stated that Iran has mobilized groups it has cultivated over many years for what it views as a decisive confrontation.
Assessments from militia sources indicate that the current level of engagement exceeds that seen after Oct. 2023, driven by concerns that a collapse of Iran’s political system would threaten the survival of these groups in Iraq. One source cited anger and a desire for revenge as key motivations, while another emphasized that these groups were specifically designed for such a conflict and remain closely tied to Iranian command structures.
Analysts argue that the operations are effectively directed by Iran, with Iraqi factions serving primarily as a local cover. Political researcher Akeel Abbas noted that militia actions are “essentially extensions of the Revolutionary Guard operating under a local façade.”
A Fragile State Position
An Iraqi government official warned that the likelihood of keeping militias out of the conflict is diminishing as the war continues. He described the state as “an invisible presence caught between two fighters,” noting that confronting the militias could risk direct conflict with Iran or trigger internal Shiite divisions.
Another militia leader suggested that the war has clarified the balance of power in Baghdad, reinforcing the dominance of armed factions. Initial attacks focused on US diplomatic facilities in Baghdad and Erbil, along with military bases. They later expanded to include Iraqi radar systems and government communications infrastructure.
Sources estimate that more than 15 US and French radar systems - part of contracts signed since 2022 worth roughly $350 million - have been destroyed. The objective, they say, was to disable drone detection capabilities and prevent surveillance of Iranian movements. Iraqi military officials declined to comment on the extent of these losses or those responsible. Instructions to militias reportedly include severing intelligence-sharing and operational coordination between Iraqi security agencies and the United States.
Attacks have also targeted Camp Victory, a logistical base near Baghdad International Airport used by US forces and Iraqi units. According to an Iraqi officer, some explosive-laden drones struck service facilities used by Iraqi personnel located near US positions.
A Decentralized Strategy
The deployment of Iranian officers to Iraq is also intended to establish an alternative command structure in what sources describe as “a friendly country that provides political and security cover.” According to these sources, part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ activity in Iraq is designed to relieve pressure caused by US and Israeli strikes inside Iran.
They added that Iraq offers faster and more reliable communication channels with regional allies than those available in Tehran, making it effectively “the last regional arena” for the Revolutionary Guard. Observers believe Iran’s security system is designed to function in a decentralized manner. A Shiite source said the plan includes protecting a core group of elite officers in case assassinations escalate inside Iran.
Sources also revealed that Iran has activated a “backup plan” built around mixed, hard-to-trace cells drawn from different armed factions. Those networks that had been quietly prepared over several years.
This escalation coincided with a rare public statement by Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, in his first remarks since the killing of Ali Khamenei. He praised Tehran’s allies in what he called the “axis of resistance” for confronting the United States and Israel.
Although Qaani stressed the “independence” of these groups, he effectively reaffirmed control over a broad, multi-layered network operating under a flexible, decentralized structure.
Iraqi politician Hamed al-Sayed said Qaani’s statement clarified his central wartime role: managing Iran’s networks of influence abroad. He added that Iraq’s importance requires direct Iranian oversight of armed factions, as developments there could threaten political gains linked to Iran’s ruling system. While this model is not new, al-Sayed noted that what has changed is “its intensity and its integration into a wider regional war.”
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran’s current strategy operates on a broader scale, aiming to “spread disruption and instability across multiple arenas, including areas previously considered outside the conflict.”
A photo distributed by the government’s media office on March 22 shows Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (right) inspecting the damage after a drone attack targeted a building belonging to the intelligence service in Baghdad
Baghdad: A City of Spies
The military escalation has been accompanied by what sources describe as an intense intelligence war inside Baghdad, peaking with attacks on sensitive sites, including facilities belonging to Iraq’s intelligence service.
On March 21, the agency announced that one of its officers had been killed in what it described as a terrorist attack carried out by outlaw groups. Two days later, Kataib Hezbollah claimed that 90 percent of the agency’s personnel had been infiltrated, even naming a specific officer accused of leading a network that leaked information to foreign actors.
Sources said armed factions strongly suspect the intelligence service to be one of the few government institutions still maintaining close ties with the United States. They believe a faction within the agency has been supplying intelligence and coordinates on militia and Iranian movements.
According to these accounts, the agency has come under mounting pressure during the war, as a parallel intelligence conflict unfolds between Iranian operatives, Iraqi intelligence officers, and US CIA personnel, each side attempting to outmaneuver the others. In this environment, Baghdad has at times become a deadly espionage battleground.
One source said these groups have been monitoring one another closely since the war began, tracking movements street by street across the capital.
However, many observers question claims that Iran was behind the attack on the intelligence facility, attributing it instead to internal political rivalries among Shiite factions that have spilled over into the agency, which has long struggled to remain independent.
The Jurf al-Sakhar Trap
Iranian coordination with armed factions appears to have created a classic intelligence vulnerability. Their increasingly visible activities made it easier for US forces to detect and track them, according to assessments circulating among members of those factions.
Sources confirmed that a strike — widely believed to have been carried out by the United States — on the town of Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad, in early March 2026 marked the first direct US targeting of Revolutionary Guard activity in Iraq following Khamenei’s killing.
Jurf al-Sakhar has been a major stronghold for Iraqi factions since 2014 and is believed to have evolved into a strategic military hub, housing training camps, detention facilities, storage depots, and sites for missile and drone development.
Political analyst Akeel Abbas described the strike as “the most significant in the Iraqi theater, as it targeted command-and-control structures.”
Sources, including individuals close to armed factions, said the area has shifted from being a strategic asset for Iran’s allies into a growing intelligence liability, threatening the core of their security and economic operations.
Subsequent strikes in Baghdad’s Karrada and Jadriya districts were reportedly aimed at senior Iranian figures. Abbas noted that the Jadriya strike in particular appeared intended to eliminate those directing operations linked to Jurf al-Sakhar. A resident of Jadriya told Asharq Al-Awsat that the targeted house had long been used by Iranian figures, whom locals had assumed were part of the Iranian diplomatic presence.
Fragile Ceasefire and Continued Strikes
Following these developments, Kataib Hezbollah announced a conditional unilateral ceasefire, pledging to halt attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad in exchange for an end to Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. However, the group Ashab al-Kahf violated the ceasefire within two days.
Later statements attributed to armed factions claimed that the United States had sought a temporary truce to allow its forces to withdraw. Pro-Iran activists circulated nighttime footage allegedly showing US military vehicles leaving Iraq overland toward Jordan.
The US State Department and the embassy in Baghdad declined to comment on reports of indirect negotiations with Iraqi factions. However, a diplomatic official told Asharq Al-Awsat that US air operations against Iran-aligned targets in Iraq “will continue until their operational capabilities are dismantled.”
Toward a “Final Battle”?
Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organization, called on the Popular Mobilization Forces to mobilize for what he described as a “battle of truth against falsehood.” The group has suffered significant losses in US strikes targeting sites in Salah al-Din and Kirkuk.
Abbas does not expect this mobilization to escalate into full-scale war alongside Iran. He argues that Iraqi factions primarily serve logistical functions, including storing missiles and drones that Iran could deploy if pressure intensifies inside Iran or on Hezbollah’s front.
He added that these factions do not constitute a decisive fighting force on their own but operate as instruments of the Revolutionary Guard, reinforcing the idea that Iraq is being used as a strategic pressure platform.
In contrast, Shiite leaders in Baghdad increasingly believe that the Revolutionary Guard is preparing the capital for a “final battle” that may become necessary in its confrontation with the United States.
One such leader told Asharq Al-Awsat that a key lesson drawn by the Revolutionary Guard is the need to implement sweeping changes to Iraq’s political and security systems, including abandoning previous rules governing engagement with international actors.
Another Shiite leader said armed factions have long sought to bring remaining independent security institutions under their control. These assessments align with broader indications that Tehran, in the absence of a political settlement with Washington, may attempt to impose a new reality of direct influence in Iraq, reshaping the country’s governing structure. One political figure suggested this explains “why Iran has delayed the formation of a new Iraqi government until after the war ends.”
Lebanon Withdraws Accreditation of Iran’s Ambassador, Orders Him to Leave Countryhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5254657-lebanon-withdraws-accreditation-iran%E2%80%99s-ambassador-orders-him-leave-country
The Foreign Ministry said Tehran’s diplomatic representative in the country has to leave by Sunday. (NNA)
TT
TT
Lebanon Withdraws Accreditation of Iran’s Ambassador, Orders Him to Leave Country
The Foreign Ministry said Tehran’s diplomatic representative in the country has to leave by Sunday. (NNA)
Lebanon withdrew on Tuesday the accreditation of Iran's ambassador and ordered him to leave country.
The Foreign Ministry said Tehran’s diplomatic representative in the war-torn country has to leave by Sunday, declaring him persona non grata.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Denise Rahme told The Associated Press that Iran’s embassy will still have a charge d’affaires to head its diplomatic mission.
The ministry also summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Iran for consultations, citing what it described as Tehran's violation of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside the Hezbollah group, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
Lebanon had already ordered Iranians to leave the country during the conflict.
Israel has said that some of its strikes have targeted IRGC officials operating in the country.
Israel Says Will Take ‘Control’ of Security Zone up to Lebanon’s Litani Riverhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5254636-israel-says-will-take-%E2%80%98control%E2%80%99-security-zone-lebanon%E2%80%99s-litani-river
Damage at the site of an Israeli strike targeting the Qasmiye bridge near Tyre, southern Lebanon, 23 March 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT
Israel Says Will Take ‘Control’ of Security Zone up to Lebanon’s Litani River
Damage at the site of an Israeli strike targeting the Qasmiye bridge near Tyre, southern Lebanon, 23 March 2026. (EPA)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the military will take control of south Lebanon all the way to the Litani river.
"All five bridges over the Litani that were used by Hezbollah for the passage of terrorists and weapons have been blown up, and the Israeli military will control the rest of the bridges and the security zone up to the Litani," Katz said during a visit to a military command center in Israel.
Katz added that the hundreds of thousands of south Lebanon residents who were displaced by the Middle East war this month "will not return south of the Litani River until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north" of Israel.
لم تشترك بعد
انشئ حساباً خاصاً بك لتحصل على أخبار مخصصة لك ولتتمتع بخاصية حفظ المقالات وتتلقى نشراتنا البريدية المتنوعة
