Washington to Baghdad: Do Not Support Yemen

As confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Ansarallah movement intensifies, Washington has increased its warnings to Baghdad about the possibility of Iraqi resistance groups taking part in attacks on Saudi Arabia, threatening sanctions and strikes on these groups' headquarters. Meanwhile, Iraq's resistance has made its final position conditional on developments on the ground.

According to Ambassador Arjan, in the shadow of the expansion of regional conflicts and the resumption of mutual threats between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Ansarullah movement, Iraq is once again at the center of pressure from the United States. Washington has warned against the participation of Iraqi groups in any attack on Saudi Arabia with the coordination of this movement.

According to Ambassador Arjan, a senior security source told Al-Akhbar newspaper that the American messages to the Iraqi government are not new. However, due to the escalation of tensions and the possible consequences of any Iraqi intervention, including economic sanctions and the pursuit of resistance leaders or the targeting of military facilities, these messages have gained additional importance.

This source stated that Washington has given repeated warnings to Baghdad and warned these groups about the consequences of carrying out military operations alongside Iran, Ansarullah or Hezbollah. These warnings were accompanied by stricter security instructions to monitor the movements of any group suspected of trying to attack Saudi Arabia from Iraqi soil.

According to this source, the Iraqi government has repeatedly warned these groups about operations against neighboring countries because it is afraid that Washington will use such actions as an excuse to impose new sanctions against Iraq or target the leaders and positions of the resistance movement.

This source stated that the currently available security information does not indicate such a movement. However, the continuation of American pressure is not unlikely, especially considering Washington's efforts to prevent the spread of the conflict from the current arenas to other fronts.

These warnings are raised in a situation where the media close to the Iraqi resistance groups have declared their political and media support for the Yemeni Ansarullah movement while emphasizing the cessation of military operations against Saudi Arabia.

Athir al-Shara, the director of the "Qiraat" strategic studies center, told Al-Akhbar newspaper that the confirmation of the participation of Iraqi groups in attacks against Saudi Arabia with the coordination of Yemen's Ansarullah could prompt Washington to consider this situation as an expansion of regional conflicts. Depending on the nature of this partnership and the prevailing circumstances, possible measures to apply pressure in such a scenario could include sanctioning specific leaders or institutions, intensifying financial controls, and even targeting military installations.

Al-Shara believes that even though the Iraqi government has the ability to contain the risks of escalation of tension, but if the resistance groups act independently of the Armed Forces General Command, this government will face challenges in implementing its decisions.

On the other hand, Ali al-Fatlawi, one of the senior figures of "Ansarullah al-Awfia" movement, considered the American warnings as an example of double standards in dealing with regional conflicts.

In a conversation with Al-Akhbar newspaper, Al-Fatlawi emphasized: The participation of the resistance forces in regional issues is faced with international pressures and actions, while the actions of other parties in various fields are ignored.

He said: This difference in approach is a reflection of America's effort to exert pressure on the forces that Washington considers to be enemies, and its purpose is to limit the political and operational options of these forces. He said that the ability of these groups to mobilize forces does not necessarily mean a decision to enter into a new confrontation, and calculations related to the escalation of security and political tensions also play a role in their evaluations.

He further said: Any stance in the future will depend on the regional developments and the positions of the relevant religious authorities.

He considered sanctions as a tool in the hands of Washington to put pressure on political and economic figures and institutions, and warned that it is unlikely that expanding the scope of using this tool will lead to the resolution of disputes and may lead to the escalation of tensions.

In this regard, Mohammad Al-Bayati, an expert on security and strategic issues, told Al-Akhbar: Regional developments require that American warnings be evaluated in the context of intertwined political and military activities in the region.

He pointed out that the nature of the current confrontation is tied to the rules of conflict and the calculations of regional actors. Even if there are no declared coordination frameworks or formal understandings regarding any possible action.

Al-Bayati warned: Any US attack on resistance positions or authorities inside Iraq will complicate the security situation and may provoke reactions that increase the possibility of escalation of tensions and impose new realities on the field of action. Such a scenario will put the Iraqi government under increasing political and security pressures. And that is exactly when Baghdad is trying to curb the consequences of the regional confrontation and maintain internal stability.