Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen threaten new attacks as US aircraft carrier arrives

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two Iranian-backed militias in the Mideast signaled willingness to launch new attacks, likely trying to back Iran, as officials acknowledged the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region Monday. President Donald Trump ordered the carriers to move to the Middle East as he threatened military action over Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hinted they were ready to resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah paramilitary group, long supported by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, issued a direct threat toward any attack targeting Iran, warning a “total war” in the region would result. The statements came as the USS Abraham Lincoln and other guided missile destroyers in its strike group arrived in the region to 'promote regional security and stability,' U.S. Central Command said. Trump said the ships were moved 'just in case' he decides to take action against Iran, setting red lines tied to the killing of peaceful protesters and mass executions. A senior Iranian military official dismissed the American threat as 'an exaggeration' and noted Iran had increased its military presence in response, calling the Lincoln an accessible target. Hezbollah's leader said the group is preparing for possible aggression but would determine its response according to battlefield conditions. The Houthis aired a short video with images of a ship on fire and the caption 'Soon,' and later aired footage from a January 2024 attack on the tanker Marlin Luanda. Kataib Hezbollah's Ahmad 'Abu Hussein' al-Hamidawi warned of 'the bitterest forms of death' for enemies. The UAE said it would not allow its territory or waters to be used for military action against Iran. Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik warned any attack would be met with a response 'more painful and more decisive than in the past.' Iran also banned small private aircraft from flying in the country as tensions rose. Many Western airlines have begun avoiding Iranian airspace. The protests in Iran began on Dec. 28 after the fall of the rial and spread nationwide; a heavy crackdown and an extended internet blackout followed. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency put the death toll at 5,973 with over 41,813 arrested; Iran's government gave a lower toll of 3,117. The Associated Press has not independently verified the activist group's figures.