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On January 21, 2025, Akram Al-Kaabi, the Secretary General of the Iran-backed Al-Nujaba' Movement In Iraq, delivered a speech celebrating the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement as a victory for Gaza and for Iran's "Axis of Resistance."
The Iraqi militia leader also stressed that the Iraqi resistance will resume attacks on U.S. forces if they refused to withdraw from Iraq, adding that he would not be intimidated by the new American administration of President Donald Trump.[1]
Celebrating the end of fighting in Gaza as a victory despite the heavy losses of Iran-backed factions, he said:
"We reassure all the axis of goodness that despite our sacrifice of great leaders and dear martyrs on the road to Jerusalem, we have emerged from this battle stronger than before, gained experience, and developed capabilities and skills, so our capabilities have developed significantly, many times over."
Addressing the U.S. and Western support of Israel during the war in Gaza, he added:
"We must not forget that America is a partner of the [Israeli] entity in all its crimes and inhumane war. Rather, deception and malice have led them to exploit people's feelings under the cover of humanity. The Europeans are no less criminal than the Zionists in their non-neutral role in this battle. Rather, they are historically the main reason for all the suffering in the region."
"Attacks On U.S. Forces In Iraq Will Be Resumed If They Decide To Stay"
Turning to the U.S. military presence in Iraq, he said that the U.S has agreed to withdraw its troops, thanks to the attacks that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had carried out against U.S. bases.
"Our information confirms that the American occupier, who agreed with the Iraqi government to schedule the withdrawal after the Iraqi Islamic Resistance's Haidar strikes forced it to accept that, completely evacuated the Harir base and evacuated part of its forces from Ain Al-Assad [base]."
He claimed that after the ousting of the Assad regime in Syria, "the American occupier” began to show hesitation over withdrawing from Ain Al-Assad base, warning that the Iraqi factions would resume attacks on the U.S. forces if they refused to evacuate the base.
"So, we warn him [American occupier] that his evasion of the withdrawal means that our military operations will return at a higher pace than before, as we have devoted ourselves and prepared for them."
"Trump Does Not Scare Us"
He refuted security concerns surrounding the recent political developments in Syria, which some fear could lead to a resurgence of terrorism near the Iraqi borders with Syria, suggesting that there was no need for U.S. military support for Iraq to deter terrorists. He also mocked those who supported U.S. President Donald Trump's foreign policy, which is expected to be harsh on Iran and its proxies:
"The agents and conspirators who came out to us with their lies and exaggerations in Iraq after the events in Syria with a fake media war in implementation of the orders of the Zionists and are happy with Trump - we tell them that the foolish Trump scares you, but does not scare us, so he has no value to us."
[1] Telegram, January 21, 2025.
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