Actions speak louder than words, the Pentagon said, unmoved.
Three American soldiers died in a drone strike on a Jordanian base, and within days the militia believed responsible announced a pause in its campaign — not out of remorse, but out of political calculation. Kata'ib Hezbollah, the most powerful of Iran's Iraqi proxies, stepped back not because it was defeated, but because continued fighting threatened to undermine the very diplomatic goal its patrons most desire: the end of the American military presence in Iraq. The announcement reveals how violence and negotiation are not opposites in this conflict, but instruments played in uneasy concert.
- Three U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a base in Jordan — the deadliest single attack on American forces since the Gaza war began — forcing Washington to weigh a retaliatory strike that could ignite a wider regional conflict.
- Kata'ib Hezbollah, responsible for the majority of over 160 attacks on U.S. positions since October, abruptly declared a suspension of operations — an unprecedented move that exposed visible tension between the militia and its Iranian backers.
- Iraq's Prime Minister al-Sudani pressed hard for the halt, arguing to both the militia and Tehran that continued strikes were destroying his leverage to negotiate a full U.S. military withdrawal — the one outcome Iran wants most.
- The Pentagon dismissed the announcement with pointed brevity, noting that actions speak louder than words, while two other Iran-backed militias declined to follow Kata'ib Hezbollah's lead.
- A U.S. retaliatory strike remains pending and unspecified, leaving the fragile diplomatic architecture al-Sudani has built suspended over the possibility of an escalation that could collapse it entirely.
Three American soldiers were killed when a drone struck a U.S. base in Jordan on Sunday. By Tuesday, the Iran-linked militia believed responsible — Kata'ib Hezbollah, the largest and most entrenched of Iraq's armed proxy groups — announced it was suspending military operations. The stated reason was striking in its candor: the group said it was standing down to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government.
The announcement was without precedent for the organization, which had led the majority of roughly 160 attacks on U.S. military installations across Iraq and Syria since Israel's ground campaign in Gaza began following the October 7 Hamas attack. In its statement, the group's leader made clear the decision was not made comfortably, and pointedly noted that Iran neither directs nor fully approves of the militia's operational choices — a rare public signal of friction within the so-called Axis of Resistance.
Behind the announcement lay weeks of quiet diplomacy. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had been pressing for a halt to the attacks, arguing that continued strikes were sabotaging his effort to negotiate a withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Iraq — the very outcome Iran most desires. The American side had refused to negotiate under fire, though eventually agreed to begin talks without a formal ceasefire guarantee. When the Jordan strike killed three soldiers, al-Sudani went directly to Iran's leadership, making the case that the militia's aggression was working against their shared strategic interest.
Iraq's government confirmed the prime minister's central role, describing the suspension as the direct result of his internal and external pressure. Senior figures close to Iran, including former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, were involved in the negotiations, as was General Esmail Qaani of Iran's Quds Force.
The Pentagon was unmoved. Its spokesman offered a single clipped sentence — actions speak louder than words — and noted he had little more to say after 160-plus attacks. The skepticism had grounding: two other militias linked to the strikes have made no such pledge. And President Biden's promised response to the Jordan attack remains unannounced, leaving the negotiations al-Sudani carefully assembled at the mercy of whatever comes next.
Three American soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a U.S. base in Jordan on Sunday. By Tuesday, the Iran-linked militia believed responsible for the attack announced it would stop fighting. The group, Kata'ib Hezbollah, said it was suspending military operations in Iraq to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government—a statement that came as President Biden prepared his response to the deaths and as the Pentagon weighed whether to strike back on Iraqi soil.
Kata'ib Hezbollah, also known as the Brigades of the Party of God, is the largest and most established of several Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq. Since Israel began its ground campaign in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack, these militias have launched roughly 160 strikes against U.S. military installations across Iraq and Syria. Kata'ib Hezbollah has led the majority of those attacks. The group is part of what analysts call the Axis of Resistance, a network of Iranian-aligned militias spread across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and beyond. The United States maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq advising and training the Iraqi military, and another 900 in Syria working with Kurdish forces against the Islamic State.
The militia's announcement was unusual. In a statement, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the group's leader, said the organization was halting operations "in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government." It was the first time Kata'ib Hezbollah had publicly declared such a suspension. Yet the statement also made clear the group was unhappy about the decision. The militia emphasized that it chooses its own targets and timing, not Iran. "Our brothers in the Axis, especially in the Islamic Republic of Iran, they do not know how we conduct our Jihad, and they often object to the pressure and escalation against the American occupation forces in Iraq and Syria," the statement read. The language suggested tension between the militia and its Iranian backers over the decision to stand down.
Behind the scenes, intensive negotiations had been underway. Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had begun pushing for a halt to the attacks weeks earlier, according to senior government advisers. His goal was to open talks on eventually withdrawing the U.S.-led military presence from Iraq—something Iran also wants. But the American side had refused to negotiate while under fire. Eventually, the U.S. agreed to begin discussions without a guarantee the attacks would stop, though with clear pressure in that direction. When the Jordan strike killed three soldiers, al-Sudani demanded an immediate halt from Kata'ib Hezbollah and reached out directly to Iran's leadership. He argued that the militia's continued attacks were undermining his ability to achieve what Iran most wanted: ending the U.S. military footprint in Iraq.
Iraq's government spokesman, Hisham al-Rikabi, confirmed this account. "Kata'ib Hezbollah's decision came as a result of the action taken by the prime minister internally and externally, to prevent escalation, and to ensure the smooth completion of negotiations on completing the process of the international coalition's withdrawal from Iraq," he said. The negotiations involved senior Iraqi officials close to Iran, including former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and leaders of two armed groups that have not targeted U.S. forces. On the Iranian side, General Esmail Qaani, who leads the Quds Force—the division of the Revolutionary Guards that works with Axis groups outside Iran—participated in the talks.
The Pentagon remained unmoved by the announcement. Major General Pat Ryder, a Defense Department spokesman, offered a terse response at a briefing: "I don't have a specific comment to provide other than actions speak louder than words." He added that he would refrain from commenting further after more than 160 attacks against U.S. forces. The skepticism was warranted. Two other Iraqi militias believed to have participated in strikes against U.S. targets—Harakat al Nujaba and Sayyid Shuhada—have not announced they will halt their operations. Biden's promised response to the Jordan attack remained unspecified, leaving open the possibility of American retaliation that could destabilize the fragile negotiations al-Sudani had worked to construct.
Citações Notáveis
We announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces—in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.— Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, leader of Kata'ib Hezbollah
Kata'ib Hezbollah's decision came as a result of the action taken by the prime minister internally and externally, to prevent escalation, and to ensure the smooth completion of negotiations on completing the process of the international coalition's withdrawal from Iraq.— Hisham al-Rikabi, Iraqi government spokesman
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would a militia announce it's stopping attacks if it didn't actually want to stop?
Because it was forced to by Iran and Iraq's government, but it wanted the world to know it was forced. The statement reads like a complaint—they're saying Iran doesn't understand how they operate, that they choose their own targets. It's a way of saving face.
So Iran pressured them?
Yes, but indirectly. Iraq's prime minister made the argument that the militia's attacks were actually hurting Iran's own goals. He said: look, you want the U.S. out of Iraq, I'm negotiating that, but I can't negotiate while you're killing American soldiers. That logic worked.
Three soldiers died. Was that the turning point?
It seems to be. The prime minister had been asking for a halt for weeks and was ignored. But once Americans were killed, the stakes changed. He went directly to Iran and said this has to stop now, and Iran agreed.
Does this mean the attacks will actually stop?
The Pentagon doesn't think so. They said actions speak louder than words. And two other militias haven't committed to anything. This could be a pause, not an end.
What does al-Sudani actually want?
He wants to negotiate a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. That's also what Iran wants. But you can't negotiate with someone while they're shooting at you. So he had to get the militia to stop first.
And the U.S.? What's Biden going to do?
He said he'd decided how to respond to the Jordan strike, but he didn't say what. That threat of retaliation is still hanging over everything. If the U.S. strikes back on Iraqi soil, it could blow up the whole negotiation.