The Iranian Ministry of Defense released details of a phone call between Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Iraqi counterpart, Thabit al-Abbasi. The American secretary notified Baghdad of the imminent commencement of military operations in the region and demanded that Iraqi authorities deter pro-Iranian armed groups from any interference.

"This is your final signal... and you know very well how the current administration will react."“,” al-Abbasi reported Hegset’s words on the Al-Sharqiya TV channel.

The Iraqi minister reaffirmed the ultimatum, emphasizing that any actions by Shiite militias within the country are unacceptable and must not affect the interests of third countries. Tehran viewed the statement as a direct threat and increased arms supplies to its Iraqi allies, seeing them as a replacement for weakened proxies in Lebanon and Syria.