
Iran-backed armed group in Iraq vows to attack US targets
President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US military had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, "completely and totally obliterating" Tehran's enrichment capacity.
It ended days of speculation about whether Washington would become directly involved in Israel's war against Iran. Mr Trump said any retaliation by Iran against the US would be met with overwhelming force.
'America has left us no other option other than the war,' Sheikh Mohammed Al Tamimi, leader of the True Promise Corps, told The National.
'In the coming hours, there will be a response that will heal the hearts with God's help,' he warned without elaborating. 'From now on, American and Israeli interests everywhere are targets for us."
Fears are growing in Iraq over a possible intervention by Iran-backed armed factions, who have threatened Washington's interests in the region if it were to join Israel in its war against Iran.
the True Promise Corps is part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella for several influential Tehran-allied armed groups in Iraq.
Asked whether this position represents other groups, Mr Al Tamimi said he spoke on behalf of the True Promise Corps only. There has been no reaction from other groups operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Saudi Arabia and Jordan denounce Itamar Ben-Gvir's 'provocative' visit to Al Aqsa Mosque
Saudi Arabia has condemned 'provocative' practices by Israeli officials at Al Aqsa Mosque compound, after Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the holy site on Sunday. 'Such practices fuel conflict in the region,' the kingdom's Foreign Ministry said. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry described the act as a 'flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, an unacceptable provocation, and a condemned scalation', stressing that Israel holds no sovereignty over Al Aqsa Mosque. Under a delicate decades-old status quo arrangement with Muslim authorities, the compound is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not pray there. The Waqf, the foundation that administers the complex, said Mr Ben-Gvir was among another 1,250 who ascended the site and who it said prayed, shouted and danced. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the visit that: 'Israel's policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will remain unchanged.' New anger erupted in Israel after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad released two videos of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, as efforts to get a ceasefire deal stall and the country's far-right government appears to favour continued fighting to a ceasefire. PIJ released a six-minute video on Thursday showing distressed hostage Rom Braslavski, 21, which it said was recorded days before contact was lost with his captors. The next day, Hamas released a video of emaciated Evyatar David in a tunnel, part of which filmed him digging a hole that he said he thought would be his grave. The video was published as Steve Witkoff, US Middle East envoy and a pivotal figure in ceasefire negotiations, was visiting relatives of Israeli hostages. The footage caused rage in Israel, as well as the Israeli government. Mr Braslavski's mother said: 'Don't cry over the children in Gaza – cry for Rom,' according to The Times of Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote in a post on X: 'Let every government member watch Evyatar's video tonight before going to sleep and try to fall asleep while thinking of Evyatar trying to survive in a tunnel.' Protesters also blocked a motorway in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning, calling for a hostage deal in solidarity with the hostages. Polling consistently suggests that Israelis also oppose the war, with the majority concerned for the well-being of hostages and Israeli soldiers. Concern over the war's effects on Gazan civilians remains low, with 74 per cent of Israeli Jews saying 'they are not distressed by the humanitarian situation in Gaza', according to a poll published on Sunday by Israeli think tank INSS. The continuing opposition to the war inside Israel comes as many ministers double down on the necessity of continuing the conflict. Far-right Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu said on Wednesday that releasing hostages should not be the main goal of the war. '[Hostages] should be called 'prisoners of war … and 'prisoners of war' are dealt with at the end of the war,' he added. Mr Ben-Gvir, who leads the Otzma Yehudit party to which Mr Eliyahu belongs, said on Sunday that the 'only way' to return hostages and win the war against Hamas was by sending the message that 'we are already occupying all of the Gaza Strip, declaring sovereignty across the entire Gaza Strip, eliminating every Hamas member and encouraging voluntary emigration'. Mr Ben-Gvir made the comments at the flashpoint Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem where he also prayed, challenging rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Hamas called its attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, 'Al Aqsa Flood' and said they were in part response to the breaches of the mosques status quo, including by ministers in Mr Netanyahu's government.


The National
4 hours ago
- The National
With Gaza in the global spotlight, expect Israel to turn the heat on Hezbollah
Israel finds itself in need of diverting global attention away from its atrocities in Gaza. Enter Hezbollah. The Israeli government appears to see renewed war with the Lebanese group as a chance to further its interests, pretexting the latter's refusal to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state as it previously pledged. The timing is driven by several factors. The administration of US President Donald Trump has grown weary of waiting for Beirut to fulfil its promise of exclusive state control over arms, and it might be ready to endorse any Israeli decision, regardless of its severity. Another factor is Iran's unwillingness to enter a direct war with Israel on Hezbollah's behalf. Indeed, Tehran is both preoccupied with the fallout from the recent US and Israeli strikes and worried about another wave of attacks in the near future. Still, it refuses to abandon its strategy of using armed regional proxies as bargaining chips in potential negotiations with Washington. Tensions between the US and Iran are thus escalating – manifested through American sanctions, Iranian threats and Israeli war preparations. Iran's proxies in Lebanon and Yemen are on high alert, and the wider Iranian 'Axis of Resistance' is watching events closely, from Iraq to Gaza. Israel has zero tolerance regarding Hezbollah's arsenal. It has convinced the Trump administration that if the Lebanese government fails to implement its disarmament pledge, Israel has no choice but to press ahead with its war on the group. Meanwhile, the international conference on the two-state solution – co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN – might have angered Iran. The Islamic Republic's ideology rejects the two-state solution, with its doctrine calling for Israel's destruction. Moreover, the conference's show of global support for the Palestinian Authority as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people was also a collective cry against Hamas, a key player in Iran's axis. Just as Israel is indifferent to the civilian toll in Gaza, Iran appears unbothered by Palestinian suffering, particularly as long as Hamas remains faithful to the axis. Mr Trump was recently forced to acknowledge the human-made famine in Gaza, having previously denied this reality. While he didn't initially act against Israel, which is enacting a policy of starvation in the enclave, he spoke about it after parts of his Maga political base pressed him to intervene to end the humanitarian catastrophe. This was accompanied by a different kind of global political pressure as Mr Trump was challenged by European and non-European allies who participated in the two-state solution conference and endorsed its final communique charting a path towards a Palestinian state alongside Israel. There are concerns over possible vindictive responses from Mr Trump, particularly if he feels isolated on the international stage. There is unease over his administration sanctioning the PA's leadership, which the latter says is a form of punishment for seeking the establishment of a Palestinian state. It shouldn't surprise anyone if Israel seeks to crush everything that emerged from the UN conference. It views the PA as an obstacle to its ambitions of annexing the West Bank. It opposes the near-unanimous international view that Hamas should be dismantled, only because its policy is to fracture Palestinian unity and undermine the PA. The dilemma facing the US President over the current Israeli government's extremist policies is his growing global isolation on the Palestine issue. He may still choose to ignore increasing international momentum in favour of a Palestinian state, but it could come at a cost. Indeed, it was no small development for Saudi Arabia to insist to the international community that it won't normalise relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established. Riyadh's support for Palestinian statehood gained greater significance when it co-chaired the conference with France. The event brought surprising developments, including the UK's readiness to recognise the state of Palestine at next month's UN General Assembly unless Israel changes course from its current approach in Gaza. Yet a Palestinian state cannot come into being without American backing and Israeli compliance. The UN Security Council has already enshrined the two-state solution in resolutions 1397 and 1515, both supported by Washington. But the roadmap they laid out for Palestinian statehood by 2005 was never implemented and the Trump administration walked back American commitments to those resolutions. The events in New York could push Mr Trump further into the arms of Israeli extremism and its rejection of the two-state solution. Or he might find himself cornered and unable to punish the broad coalition of states that have challenged him. If so, his policy could shift under pressure. This would require a deft diplomatic effort to present Mr Trump with ways to align with the emerging consensus without feeling provoked. Countries have bilateral interests and won't risk undermining relations with Washington solely for the sake of the two-state solution. Having been increasingly scrutinised by the international community, Israel appears intent on shifting global focus away from Gaza. This is precisely because it intends to continue its policies there. And as long as European states fail to impose tangible punitive measures on Israel, and as long as Mr Trump supports its project of 'voluntary displacement', Israel will continue with its agenda. Israel's posture towards Lebanon and Iran, however, is another matter. There is little international sympathy for Iran's insistence that Hezbollah retain its arms in defiance of Lebanese sovereignty. Nor is there sympathy for Tehran's reckless endangerment of the Lebanese people's safety, security and agency. There is, likewise, little global sympathy for the Islamic Republic's stubborn adherence to its triad of strategic doctrines – nuclear capability, ballistic missiles and proxy warfare – without modifications. Thus, should it once again face US or Israeli military strikes, it is unlikely to find many sympathisers. Tehran is now trapped by American sanctions and the threat of more air strikes. Hezbollah, too, will find no one rushing to its rescue if it falls prey to Israel's attempts to shift global attention away from Gaza. Both entities will have only themselves to blame.


Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Israel PM says in 'profound shock' over hostage videos
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "profound shock" over videos showing two emaciated hostages in Gaza, with the EU also denouncing the clips on Sunday and demanding the release of all remaining captives after nearly 22 months of war. Over the past few days, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three videos showing two hostages seized during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The images of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David have sparked strong reactions among Israelis, fuelling renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay. A statement from Netanyahu's office late Saturday said he had spoken with the families of the two hostages and "expressed profound shock over the materials distributed by the terror organisations". Netanyahu "told the families that the efforts to return all our hostages are ongoing", the statement added. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu's government to secure the release of the remaining captives. In the clips shared by the Palestinian Islamist groups, 21-year-old Braslavski, a German-Israeli dual national, and 24-year-old David both appear weak and malnourished. There was particular outrage in Israel over images of David who appeared to be digging what he said in the staged video was his own grave. The videos make references to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned a "famine is unfolding". EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the images "are appalling and expose the barbarity of Hamas", calling for the release of "all hostages... immediately and unconditionally". 'Hamas must disarm' Kallas said in the same post on X that "Hamas must disarm and end its rule in Gaza" — demands endorsed earlier this week by Arab countries, including key mediators Qatar and Egypt. She added that "large-scale humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those in need". Israel has heavily restricted the entry of aid into Gaza, which was already under blockade for 15 years before the war began. UN agencies, humanitarian groups and analysts say that much of the trickle of food aid that Israel allows in is looted or diverted in chaotic circumstances. Many desperate Palestinians are left to risk their lives under fire seeking what aid is distributed through controlled channels. On Sunday, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed nine Palestinians who were waiting to collect food rations from a site operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) near the southern city of Rafah. "The soldiers opened fire on people. I was there, no one posed any threat" to the Israeli forces, 31-year-old witness Jabr Al Shaer told AFP by phone. There was no comment from the military. Five more people were killed near a different GHF aid site in central Gaza on Sunday, while Israeli attacks elsewhere killed another five people, said civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal. 'Emaciated and desperate' Israeli newspapers dedicated their front pages on Sunday to the plight of the hostages, with Maariv decrying "hell in Gaza" and Yedioth Ahronoth showing a "malnourished, emaciated and desperate" David. Left-leaning Haaretz declared that "Netanyahu is in no rush" to rescue the captives, echoing claims by critics that the longtime leader has prolonged the war for his own political survival. Braslavski and David are among the 49 hostages taken during Hamas's 2023 attack who are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Most of the 251 hostages seized in the attack have been released during two short-lived truces in the war, some in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,430 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said one of its staff members was killed in an Israeli attack on its Khan Younis headquarters, in southern Gaza. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was "not aware of a strike" in that area. Media restrictions and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP cannot independently verify tolls and details provided by various parties. An AFP journalist aboard a French army plane airdropping aid on Saturday saw widespread destruction at the Gaza City port and elsewhere in the territory's north, with entire neighbourhoods levelled. 'Provocation' In Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem on Sunday, firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in a filmed statement that "the response to Hamas's horror videos" should include Gaza's occupation and plans for the "voluntary emigration" of its people. The video was taken at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, which is also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, though they are barred from praying there under a long-standing convention. Jordan, which acts as the site's custodian, condemned the minister's latest visit there as "an unacceptable provocation", while Hamas called it "a deepening of the ongoing aggression against our Palestinian people". Netanyahu's office said in a statement that "Israel's policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change".