Iran-backed militias in Iraq are targeting American troops as the war in Iran continues, the Washington Examiner reported.
Kataib Hezbollah and other militias have been firing rockets and drones at U.S. forces, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told the Examiner.
"U.S. forces have taken action in response to attacks from Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups against American forces and personnel since the start of Operation Epic Fury," Hawkins told the Examiner. "We will not hesitate to protect our people."
A Central Command official told the Examiner that the Iraqi militias have not caused any significant injuries to American forces and that the threat posed by the militias has had no impact on Epic Fury.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said American AH-64 Apache helicopters have been striking the groups to suppress any threat in Iraq.
U.S. officials have accused Iran-backed militias of launching drone and rocket attacks on energy sites in northern Iraq, while Iraqi forces have stepped up deployments to secure major oil fields and prevent sabotage.
Other Iran proxy groups have been muted in their response to Epic Fury.
Neither Hezbollah nor the Yemen-based Houthis have fired at U.S. forces since the war in Iran began Feb. 28, the CENTCOM official told the Examiner.
Hezbollah launched rockets into southern Israel shortly after the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Regarding all oil fields operated by foreign companies, Iraq has invoked a legal clause that lets it suspend contractual obligations because war-related disruptions have made it impossible to export crude, two oil ministry sources told Reuters on Friday.
The declaration follows escalating military operations in the region that have disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of global oil supply passes.
Oil ministry sources told Reuters that the disruption has prevented most Iraqi crude exports from moving, cutting off the country's primary revenue stream and forcing officials to take emergency contractual measures.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Sam Barron ✉
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