Iranian-Backed Militia Official Downplays US Strikes in Iraq, Hints at De-escalation

A destroyed building is pictured at the site of a U.S. airstrike in al-Qaim, Iraq, on Feb. 3, 2024.

An Iraqi militia official on Saturday hinted at a desire to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes launched by the United States against dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.