Kataib Hezbollah urges Iraqi government to back 'resistance'

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Kataib Hezbollah's Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Humaydawi issued a written warning to the Iraqi government and officials, urging them to follow the will of the Iraqi people and avoid aligning with foreign powers' projects. In the statement, the group said it was founded under the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and remains committed to that line. Al-Humaydawi described a recent funeral procession as a "million-strong popular referendum," saying it reaffirmed support for the Islamic resistance and its weapons. He called on political leaders and government officials to stay aligned with the resistance and warned that any change in direction would prompt the public to take "the necessary decision." The statement did not call for direct action but pressed the government to remain on the resistance line. No further details on the funeral event referenced in the statement were immediately available.