CAIRO, June 20. /TASS/. Pro-Iranian Shia group Kata'ib Hezbollah, active in Iraq, threatened to block the straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb if the United States interferes into the conflict with Iran.
"If the US interventes into this war, we confirm that the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait will be closed, and all oil ports on the Red Sea will stop their operations," spokesman Abu Ali al-Askari was quoted as saying by the Shafaq News portal.
The Kata'ib Hezbollah spokesman added that US planes "should expect surprises" in the skies above the Middle East.
On June 15, Kata'ib Hezbollah threatened to attack US military bases in the region if Washington intervenes into the Iranian-Israeli conflict. At the same time, the group said that, in its opinion, "Iran does not need military support in its standoff with Israel" and "has sufficient resources to defeat the enemy on its own."
Overnight into June 13, Israel started Operation Rising Lion against the Iranian nuclear program. Less than a day later, Iran carried out a retaliatory attack. Over the following days, Israel and Iran traded blows again. Both sides reported fatalities and other casualties in the attacks, acknowledged that some targets on their territory were hit, but said the damage was limited. Mutual strikes are ongoing.