The statement by Kataeb Hezbollah security chief Abu Mujahid Al-Assaf comes amid heightened tensions following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February, a conflict that triggered a series of drone and rocket attacks by factions operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against U.S. interests in the country.

Washington responded with strikes on facilities and bases linked to the groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, killing dozens of fighters, according to the organization and regional media reports.

Since assuming office in mid-May, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to ensure that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the state, a longstanding objective of successive Iraqi governments seeking to strengthen state authority and limit the influence of armed non-state actors.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Al-Assaf said “militant action is today a collective duty, and we will carry it out on behalf of the brothers who have decided to abandon it,” signaling that the group intends to continue its activities even as some allied factions move toward closer cooperation with state institutions.

While several Iran-backed factions have reportedly agreed to operate under official structures, Kataeb Hezbollah remains among the groups rejecting discussions on disarmament under what it characterizes as U.S. pressure.

Al-Assaf indicated that the organization was prepared to coordinate with other factions that no longer wished to maintain independent arsenals. He said Kataeb Hezbollah could supervise the transfer and storage of weapons and receive specialized systems, including cruise missiles, arguing that state agencies lacked personnel with the necessary expertise to manage such equipment.

The group has consistently linked any discussion of its weapons to the continued presence of foreign troops in Iraq. Kataeb Hezbollah maintains that it will not consider disarmament while international forces remain deployed in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region as part of the U.S.-led coalition established in 2014 to combat Islamic State militants.

The coalition is scheduled to conclude its mission in the Kurdistan region by September, a timeline that has become a key reference point in Iraq’s debate over the future role of armed factions and the country’s security architecture.

The ministry said in a statement that defense systems were “actively engaging” aerial threats and urged residents not to approach or photograph debris from intercepted projectiles.The attack came hours after the U.S. military said American naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz had intercepted Iranian attacks targeting three U.S. Navy vessels late Thursday and carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian military facilities linked to operations against American forces.

United States Central Command said in a social media statement that U.S. forces responded to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” with what it described as self-defense strikes. The military said no American ships were hit and added that Washington did not seek further escalation but remained prepared to defend U.S. personnel and assets in the region.

Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that the ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington was still in effect despite renewed hostilities.

The latest violence threatens a truce that has largely held since April 8 after nearly six weeks of conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets beginning Feb. 28.The UAE was among the Gulf states most affected during the conflict, facing repeated missile and drone attacks that authorities attributed to Iran.

Emirati officials said this week that strikes reported on Monday and Tuesday marked the first attacks on UAE territory since the ceasefire took effect.

According to UAE authorities, the country has been targeted by more than 2,000 drones, hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of cruise missiles since the war began. Officials said most were intercepted, but the attacks killed at least 13 people, injured more than 200 and damaged energy infrastructure and prominent buildings.

Other Gulf Arab countries also reported attacks during the conflict despite maintaining they were not directly participating in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.On Thursday, the UAE announced the formation of a national committee to document what it described as Iranian attacks and the resulting human, economic and material losses, laying groundwork for potential legal action against Tehran.

State news agency WAM said the committee, chaired by the UAE attorney general, would gather evidence according to internationally recognized legal and technical standards to support future claims for accountability, reparations and justice.The move followed renewed diplomatic tensions after the UAE condemned statements by Iranian officials accusing Abu Dhabi’s security cooperation with Washington of threatening Iran’s national interests.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country’s defense partnerships were a sovereign matter.

Efforts to secure a broader settlement remain stalled after talks hosted by Pakistan last month between U.S. and Iranian representatives ended without a comprehensive agreement to halt the conflict permanently.