Iran Parliament Member Threatens Israel, Arab States After US Exit

Following the completion of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, a senior Iranian official issued threats against Israel and moderate Arab nations. Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, posted on X that "The U.S. will inevitably leave this region, and the days of the Zionist regime are numbered." He also warned countries cooperating with the U.S., stating, "In the end, it is we and our neighbors who will remain here, face to face. That day will be a day of regret."

These remarks align with recent statements from Tehran, which are framing the U.S. bases' departure from Iraq as a significant strategic victory for the "axis of resistance." U.S. military forces are reportedly set to finalize their withdrawal from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, concluding over two decades of military presence. This withdrawal, agreed upon in 2024 under the Biden administration but executed by the Trump administration amid escalating tensions with Iran, has seen approximately 4,500 American soldiers killed during the conflict.

While Tehran celebrates the U.S. departure as a triumph for the resistance axis, security experts express concern. Iraqi security analyst Jasem Al-Bahadli explained that the withdrawal removes a counterweight to Tehran's influence, predicting that militias will leverage this to expand their political and security sway in Baghdad. Conversely, Abu Mujtaba Al-Yasiri, a senior commander in the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" umbrella group, called the withdrawal a crushing defeat for the American project and announced plans to celebrate the expulsion of foreign forces on September 30th.