Washington DC:

A report released by Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) showed the growing presence of  Iran-backed militia in the Middle East. The report revealed that these “militias are threatening to expand the conflict beyond Israel’s borders”.

“These militias serve as a strategic reserve for Iran in its war against Israel,” said the report. It further illustrated Iran’s effort in coordinating Iraq’s Hezbollah and Houthis of Yemen with several other militia groups of Iran in the fight against Israel.

Abu Alaa' Al-Wala', the leader of an Iraqi Shia militia, praised Hamas for  the October 7 surprise attack on Israel that killed over 1,400 civilians . On Telegram, he posted, “We assure you that you are not alone, that we are with you, and that the resistance front is one, and that we are fully prepared to receive the reward.”

In a statement, Akram Abbas,  the founder of Harakat Hezbollah, said, “We affirm once again that if the Zionist entity expands the battlefield, the resistance marches and missiles will have a decisive force.”

The age-old tale of the US-Iran conflict that began in the late 70’s is escalating with time. Earlier this year, the Iranian Foreign Minister revealed an agreement made with Washington to swap prisoners in exchange of $7 billion frozen funds of Iran. The billion dollar deal facilitated the release of five American-Iranian dual nationals.

The report also said “Iran-backed Syrian and Iraqi militias have targeted US bases in dozens of attacks in Iraq and Syria, primarily with rockets and drones, in an effort to drag the US into the fight.”

Another FDD report said “The threat to Israel from Hezbollah and other groups in the Middle East has become a considerable factor in the recent war between Israel and Hamas.”