US report: Iran reconsiders its calculations in Iraq with Trump’s return
US report: Iran reconsiders its calculations in Iraq with Trump’s return
2025-01-09 03:35
Shafaq News/ The American Foundation for Defense of Democracies called on the new administration headed by Donald Trump to adopt a firm stance in dealing with Iran and its role in Iraq, in addition to increasing pressure on the Iraqi government to sever its ties with the militias supported by Tehran and dismantle them.
At the outset, the American report, which was translated by Shafaq News Agency, said that Baghdad and Tehran discussed regional developments during Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s visit to Iran and his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where they discussed infrastructure projects and developments in Syria after the overthrow of former dictator Bashar al-Assad, where al-Sudani stressed Syria’s sovereignty and “limiting foreign influence.”
The report indicated that Iran is reconsidering the doctrine of its “proxies,” explaining that the commander of the Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, recently met with leaders of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias, and with Iraqi politicians, in addition to Al-Sudani, during a secret trip to Iraq on January 5.
The report explained that Qaani spoke about “restructuring and dismantling the armed factions” that work on behalf of Tehran, as the report stated that Washington is pressuring the Baghdad government to dissolve these factions or integrate them into the Iraqi armed forces.
The report considered that the “Axis of Resistance” is preparing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House, noting that “Tehran’s agents” in Iraq stopped their attacks on Israel after Trump’s victory in the presidential elections.
The report continued by saying that the Iraqi factions are re-evaluating their strategy towards the next US administration in Washington, noting that prominent Iraqi Shiite figures with close ties to Tehran have spoken of concerns regarding renewed US pressure on Baghdad to dismantle these militias.
The report quoted researcher Gatan Sayeh as saying, “Iranian influence in Iraq not only gives Tehran access to US dollars, but also poses a major threat to US personnel stationed in the region.”
According to Sayeh, the “Axis of Resistance” is suffering from collapse after the elimination of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani five years ago, adding that “the new US administration should remain firm in using similar strategies if Tehran provokes the United States or its allies.”
The report quoted researcher Ahmed Shaarawy as saying that “Iraqi militias supported by Iran received millions of dollars indirectly from the United States through funds sent to the Iraqi government, and these groups used this money to arm themselves and impose ongoing threats on US personnel and its regional allies.”
Shaarawy considered that it is imperative for the new US administration to “increase pressure on the Iraqi government to sever this relationship with these militias and dismantle them.”
shafaq.com
