US issues Final Warning to Iraq: A Prelude to a Wider Middle East War

 The recent US warning to Iraq regarding Iran-linked armed factions illustrates that the West is preparing for a new, wider regional war in the Middle East.

Abbas Hashemite

The U.S. Warning to Iraq: A Signal of a Wider Regional War

In an interview this weekend, the Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi stated that the United States has issued its most serious and final warning to Iraq regarding the Iran-backed resistance groups. He states that the US’s latest message “concerns armed factions and includes a direct threat in the event that those factions carry out any operations in response to what Washington intends to do in the region near Iraq in the coming days.” The warning was issued to Iraq during a phone call between the Iraqi military officials and the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. He also stated that the two sides discussed cooperation in various sectors, including an intelligence-sharing memorandum, a pending agreement for Bell helicopters, and drones. However, he did not provide any further details about the nature of the potential US operations in the region.

Israel and Iran: A Conflict That Refuses to End

Recent developments, the Israeli and US official statements, and Hegseth’s warning to Iraq denote that the United States and its regional proxy, Israel, are planning a wider regional conflict and are laying out a potential framework for the destruction of all anti-Zionist factions in the region. Moreover, tensions between Israel and Iran have been simmering since the end of the 12-year war between the two countries, which ended with a fragile ceasefire. Israel has long been portraying Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to regional stability and peace. However, Israel’s attack on Iran in June was not mainly about the country’s nuclear program. Rather, it was an attempt to alter the regional balance of power. However, Tehran waged a long war by conducting numerous missile attacks on Israel.

It appears that the United States and Israel are planning an all-out occupation of Palestinian territory and are also prepared to initiate an invasion of different regional countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, to materialize the Zionist ambition of Greater Israel

The failure of Israeli strikes to achieve their desired outcomes added to the chagrin of the Zionist state. Since then, the Israeli military officials have been alluding to another potential Israeli strike on Iran. In August 2025, the Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir signaled the country’s intent to attack Iran again. He stated that Israel is prepared to repeat its attack on Iran. He also stated that the aim of the “preemptive war” on Iran in June was to remove “escalating existential threat before it became a concrete danger.” He further stated, “We are ready to pay a heavy price to ensure our survival.” Israel views Iran as a permanent threat to its “Greater Israel” ambition. Iran-backed militias in different regional countries have been targeting Israel since October 7 due to the latter’s indiscriminate bombing in Gaza.

However, Israel successfully neutralized Hezbollah through its bombing campaigns and airstrikes in Lebanon. Israel has been continuously attacking Southern Lebanon for the past few months to counter Hezbollah. Many of the leaders and commanders of the Hezbollah organization have been killed in these Israeli strikes. However, the Yemen-based, Iran-backed armed resistance group, the Houthis, is still targeting Israel due to its war crimes and genocide in Gaza. Despite several attacks by Israel, the US, and their European allies, the Houthis are still showing strong resistance to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Similarly, Iraqi resistance factions are also fighting the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory and are providing significant support to Hamas.

A Dangerous Vision: The Pursuit of ‘Greater Israel’ and Its Consequences

In October 2023, the Iraqi militias banded together to attack US bases in Iraq after the Israeli attack on Gaza. However, these attacks were stopped in January 2024 after intense pressure by the Iraqi government. Nonetheless, Israel and the United States deem the presence of these resistance groups as a threat to their regional ambitions. The United States seeks to perpetuate Israel’s occupation of Palestine and help it materialize the Zionist dream of greater Israel. Trump’s recent controversial peace deal is also a plan to perpetuate the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Moreover, President Trump’s proposal of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), comprising troops from Muslim nations, will destabilize the whole region and other Muslim states that will send troops to Gaza. The mandate of this force is to disarm Hamas. Therefore, countries contributing their troops to this force would face intense domestic upheaval.

It appears that the United States and Israel are planning an all-out occupation of Palestinian territory and are also prepared to initiate an invasion of different regional countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, to materialize the Zionist ambition of Greater Israel. The warning issued to the Iraqi government further strengthens these suspicions. However, any Israeli attack on Iran or offensive in Gaza would not only spread chaos in the region, but could also spark a global conflict between the Western and Eastern blocs. In addition, any such adventure would have nightmarish consequences for Israel and the United States, as Iran is also prepared for a long-term, bloodier war. It is high time for the Western warmongers to realize that their actions and superiority complex are leading the whole world towards collapse.

Аbbas Hashemite is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist