Iraqi armed group leader threatens Trump’s envoy as US deploys new drone force

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of an influential Iran-aligned Shiite armed group, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba on Wednesday launched a verbal attack on US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Iraq, Mark Savaya, accusing the Iraqi descendant of being a “traitor” to his ancestral homeland and of “blatant” interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. Akram al-Kaabi further threatened to silence Savaya, warning that he would be “fed with a stone.”

In a statement on X, Kaabi censured what he called “blatant interference in Iraqi affairs by the global American-Zionist arrogance [forces], particularly through the so-called envoy of Trump, [Savaya] - this traitor of his country who has aligned himself with its [Iraq’s] occupiers, showing reckless disregard for Iraq’s sovereignty, and rolling up his sleeves to seize its resources for his American master.”

In an indirect jab at the Iraqi government and officials, the head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba criticized the “timid and shameful silence” in the face of the alleged interference, threatening, “If you don’t silence him, know that he will be fed with a stone by the Islamic Resistance [in Iraq], returning him to his masters who have enslaved him, and thus he has betrayed his country, shown no loyalty to it, and been ungrateful and unthankful.”

Of note, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) is an umbrella organization intertwined with the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance,” which is believed to include Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Hezbollah, and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Iraqi armed groups. The entity emerged in the aftermath of the Gaza War on October 7, 2023 and has claimed responsibility for numerous missile and drone attacks targeting Israel since then.

Kaabi’s remarks notably come as Savaya, a Chaldean entrepreneur of Iraqi descent, has since his late October appointment as special envoy, been a vocal advocate of an Iraq that is “free from foreign-backed militias.”

In his inaugural statement, Savaya stated that the US administration “has made it clear that there is no place for armed groups operating outside the authority of the state,” adding that “Iraq’s stability and prosperity depend on having unified security forces under the command of a single government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

Last week, in the aftermath of a double-drone attack on the strategic Khor Mor gas field, located in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, Savaya accused “armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas” of carrying out the assault, adding, “Let it be unequivocal: there is no place for such armed groups in a fully sovereign Iraq.”

Savaya further told Rudaw on Saturday that “big changes are coming to Iraq,” adding, “Everyone will see actions, not words.”

More importantly, the threat by Kaabi is specifically alarming as the US Special Envoy for Iraq recently stated on X, “I look forward to visiting Iraq soon and meeting with key leaders.”

Interestingly, the remarks by the leader of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba came only hours before the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Wednesday statement that it had launched Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS), deploying the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) to the Middle East.

The system features “effective drone capabilities” with a long operational range and autonomous functionality, and “can be launched through various mechanisms, including catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground or vehicle platforms.”

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper was quoted as remarking that “equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors,” without specifying who the actors in reference were.

However, the Saudi-funded al-Hadath news channel on Wednesday quoted “an American official” as stating that the deployment of drones “overturns the table on the Iranians,” whose drone and missile technology had been transferred to armed groups operating within the “Axis of Resistance” Tehran leads.

The outlet further quoted the official as stating that with the deployment of TFSS, Washington “will have stronger deterrence” in the region, and while the US “is not about to launch an attack, Iran must understand that it should refrain from provoking us.”