BAGHDAD, IRAQ, March 19, (V7N)— A powerful Iran-aligned armed group in Iraq has announced a conditional five-day suspension of attacks on the United States embassy in Baghdad, offering a brief window of de-escalation as the wider Middle East conflict intensifies.

The group, Kataeb Hezbollah, said its secretary-general had ordered a halt to operations targeting the US diplomatic mission, contingent upon specific conditions being met. These include an end to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and a commitment to cease attacks on residential areas within Iraq.

“If the enemy violates the truce, the response will be immediate,” the group warned in a statement, adding that failure to uphold the conditions could lead to a renewed and intensified campaign after the five-day period.

There were no reported drone or rocket attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to AFP journalists, following a series of near-daily assaults in recent days. Most incoming projectiles had previously been intercepted by air defense systems.

The US diplomatic compound, along with a key military logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport, has been repeatedly targeted as tensions spill over from the broader conflict triggered by the US-Israel offensive against Iran on February 28.

Violence has also spread to other parts of the country. In Erbil, at least four explosions were reported, with projectiles intercepted over the city, which hosts a major US consulate and coalition forces. Meanwhile, a strike in Iraq’s western Anbar province killed three fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces, also known as Hashed al-Shaabi. The alliance said the attack targeted its main command center near the Syrian border.

The developments underscore Iraq’s increasingly precarious position as it becomes entangled in a broader regional war, despite efforts to avoid direct involvement.

The conflict is also taking a significant toll on Iraq’s fragile economy. Authorities confirmed that gas imports from Iran — which supply roughly one-third of the country’s electricity needs — were abruptly halted on Wednesday.

“Due to regional developments, Iranian gas supplies to Iraq completely halted… cutting about 3,100 megawatts of power,” said electricity ministry spokesperson Ahmed Moussa.

Officials warned the disruption would strain the national grid, though efforts are underway to offset the shortfall using alternative fuels and domestic reserves. Iraq already faces chronic electricity shortages, with many households dependent on private generators amid daily outages.

The energy crisis is compounded by disruptions to oil exports. While Baghdad has resumed limited shipments from northern fields in Kirkuk through Turkey’s Ceyhan port, exports currently stand at just 250,000 barrels per day — a fraction of pre-war levels.

The situation has been further exacerbated by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, previously a vital route for Iraq’s southern oil exports, which account for around 90 percent of the country’s revenue.

As regional hostilities continue to escalate, Iraq faces mounting security and economic pressures, with the risk that any breakdown in the fragile truce could trigger further instability across the country.

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