Washington Post: Iraqi factions are not satisfied with stopping the attacks, but they responded to I

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[size=52]Washington Post: Iraqi factions are not satisfied with stopping the attacks, but they responded to Iran[/size]

[size=45]The American newspaper The Washington Post reported that Iran is urging its agents in the Middle East to avoid provoking Washington because it is concerned about provoking a direct confrontation, which prompted it to ask Hezbollah and other armed factions to exercise restraint against American forces, according to officials in the region.[/size]
[size=45]The newspaper said that the war launched by Israel on Gaza fueled the conflict between the United States and the forces affiliated with Iran on multiple fronts. With no ceasefire in sight, Iran could face its most critical test yet: its ability to exert influence over these allied groups. When US forces launched strikes this month on groups and factions in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, Tehran publicly warned that its army was ready to respond to any threat. But privately, senior leaders are urging caution, according to Lebanese and Iraqi officials briefed on the talks. They spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.[/size]
[size=45]US officials say the message may have some impact. As of Saturday, groups and factions in Iraq and Syria had not attacked American forces for more than 13 days, an unusual calm since the start of the war in Gaza in October. The militants stopped firing even after a senior official in the Hezbollah Brigades was assassinated in an American drone strike in Baghdad. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Iran may have realized that its interests are not being served by allowing its proxies unrestricted ability to attack US and coalition forces.”[/size]
[size=45]The Biden administration has taken a similarly cautious approach with Iran. In launching dozens of strikes on February 2 - in response to a drone strike last month that killed three American soldiers in Jordan - US forces targeted Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria, but did not strike inside Iran.[/size]
[size=45]At the same time, American diplomats are pressuring Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza. During the cessation of fighting negotiated in November, attacks by Iranian-backed groups decreased across the region. To underscore the new directive, Iran sent military leaders and diplomats throughout the region to meet with local officials and members of the groups.[/size]
[size=45]An Iraqi official said: “Iran is doing its best to prevent the expansion of the war and escalation from reaching the point of no return.”[/size]
[size=45]Days after the Hezbollah Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack that killed three US Army reservists, an Iranian military commander arrived in Baghdad last month to meet with the group’s leaders. The commander pressed her to issue a statement commenting on the attacks on American targets.[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi official said that the leaders were not satisfied with the comment, but they responded to the request of the country that trained and armed their forces.[/size]
[size=45]However, the exchange may also have demonstrated the limits of Tehran’s influence: after the US strikes, the group reversed its position, vowing “painful strikes and large-scale attacks.”[/size]
[size=45]The Washington Post says the groups form the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” a loose coalition of armed groups that includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq and Syria. Tehran uses them to spread its influence throughout the region and serve as a front line of defense against the United States and Israel. Although they are funded and trained by Iran, these groups operate independently and outside of Tehran's official security apparatus. This arrangement allowed them to advance Iranian policy goals while insulating Tehran from direct responsibility—and potential retaliation—for their actions.[/size]
[size=45]Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian praised the groups during a recent visit to Lebanon and promised continued support. He told reporters in Beirut that Israel seeks to “drown the United States into the quagmire of war in the Middle East.”[/size]
[size=45]But in private, Iranian envoys adopted a more moderate tone. They praised Hezbollah's “sacrifices,” but warned that war with Israel would risk valuable gains in the region, according to the newspaper.[/size]
[size=45]Iranian officials met with members of Hezbollah this month in Lebanon. One Hezbollah member summed up Tehran's message: “We are not keen on giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu any reason to launch a broader war in Lebanon or anywhere else.”[/size]
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