Citing Security Threats Iran Launches Missiles Against Targets In Northern Iraq And Syria

 

Daily Mail: Iranian airstrikes rock US consulate in Iraqi city of Erbil as terrifying footage shows four ballistic missiles exploding on nearby compound it claims is Israeli 'spy HQ': Four civilians are killed 

 * Four people killed and six injured after missiles hit near the US consulate in Erbil 

 * The missiles were fired by Iran and struck a suspected Israeli 'spy HQ', Iran said 

Iran fired missiles late on Monday at what it claimed were Israeli 'spy headquarters' near the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, and at targets linked to the extremist group Islamic State in northern Syria. 

Four civilians were killed and six injured after missiles hit an upscale area near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the seat of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, according to the security council of the Kurdish regional government. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that it had hit a headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in the Kurdish region of Iraq.  

Read more .... 

 Citing Security Threats Iran Launches Missiles Against Targets In Northern Iraq And Syria  

Iran strikes targets in northern Iraq and Syria as regional tensions escalate -- ABC News/AP 

Iran launches missile strikes in northern Iraq and Syria, claims to destroy Israeli spy base -- CNN  

Iran strike sparks dispute with Iraq as fears of regional upheaval grow -- Reuters  

Iran launches missile strikes in Iraq and Syria citing security threats -- Al Jazeera 

Iran fires missiles at ‘terrorists and spies’ near US consulate -- RT  

US State Department issues condemnation of Iran’s attacks in Erbil -- FOX News 

US condemns Iran for 'reckless' missile strikes on northern Iraq -- BBC  

Iraq recalls ambassador, summons Iran’s chargé d’affaires over strikes in Irbil -- AP 

Iraq vows to take Iran to UN after attack on Israeli ‘spy base’ -- The Guardian 

Iraq recalls ambassador from Tehran after Iranian missiles strike Kurdish region -- France 24  

WATCH aftermath of Iranian strikes near US consulate -- RT

Iran’s Khamenei Tells Iraq's President That ‘Even One American In Iraq Is Too Many’

Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid met Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wihle in Iran on a state visit [Photo courtesy of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website]  

Reuters: Even one American in Iraq is too many, Iran leader tells Iraqi president 

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States is an unreliable friend, and Iraq should not allow any U.S. troops on its territory, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Saturday. 

 Iran, which has strong ties with Iraq, opposes the U.S. military presence on its borders in Iraq and the Gulf, saying Western military intervention is the root of insecurity in the region. "Americans are not friends of Iraq. Americans are not friends with anyone and are not even loyal to their European friends," state media quoted Khamenei as saying.  

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Update #1: ‘Even one American in Iraq is too many’, Iran’s Khamenei says (Al Jazeera)  

Update #2: ‘Even one American in Iraq is too much,’ Iran’s leader tells Iraqi president (CNN)  

WNU Editor: I am no friend of Khamanei, but I concede his anti-US message is resonating with many in the Middle East.

Iran Claims Responsibility For Missile Barrage Near The US Consulate In Erbil, Iraq

 

Daily Mail: Multiple Iranian ballistic missiles smash into US Army base in Iraq with huge fireball explosion 

* At least 12 'Iranian-produced ballistic missiles' smashed into Erbil early Sunday 

* There was 'no victims or casualties' from the attack, Kurdish health minister said 

* Missiles hit US Army base and Kurdish news channel office, state news reported 

* No group has yet to claim responsibility for the 'outrageous attack' 

Multiple rockets have smashed into a U.S. Army base and a Kurdish news channel office in Erbil, Northern Iraq. 

At least a dozen 'Iranian-produced ballistic missiles' hit the city in the early hours of Sunday, Governor Omed Khoshnaw confirmed. 

He said it was not clear whether the missiles were targeting the American consulate at the site, or the airport in the city.  

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WNU Editor: Is the U.S. that sure, or is it wishful thinking .... US does not believe consulate in Iraq was target of Iranian missile strike (The Hill). 

Iran Claims Responsibility For Missile Barrage Near The US consulate In Erbil  

Ballistic missiles hit Iraq’s Kurdish capital, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claim responsibility -- CNBC/Reuters  

Iran claims missile barrage near US consulate in Iraq -- AP  

Iranian Guards claim ballistic missile attacks in Erbil -- Al Jazeera  

Irbil attack: Iran launches missiles at northern Iraqi city -- BBC  

Iran claims responsibility for missile barrage near US consulate in Iraq -- ABC News Australia  

Volley of missiles hits Iraq’s Kurdish capital Erbil -- France 24 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Say They Were Behind Rocket Attack On Irbil -- RFE 

Iraq: Multiple rockets fall in Erbil -- DW  

Missiles land near US consulate in northern Iraq city of Erbil -- The Guardian

Was Iran Responsible For Yesterday's Drone Attack Against Iraq's Prime Minister?

 

Jerusalem Post: Is Iran behind the drone attack against Iraqi PM? - analysis  

The attack on Iraq’s Prime Minister is another step in drone warfare and is a message by pro-Iran groups in Iraq that the prime minister is not safe. 

Reports on Sunday of a drone attack on the home of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi represent a major escalation in the region. 

It represents the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles, primarily by Iranian-backed groups, to spread terror throughout the Middle East. It also represents the increased use of drones as a strategic weapon, in this case, with the goal of intimidating the Iraqi prime minister just days after security forces clashed with pro-Iranian protesters. 

It’s likely that the attack was carried out by pro-Iranian militias as there are probably no other culprits in Iraq who have drones that could or would attack the Iraqi prime minister.  

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 WNU Editor: All fingers point to Iran. There is no one else who had the reason and means to attempt this assassination attempt.

Iraqi PM Kadhimi Becomes The First Foreign Leader To Meet Iranian President Raisi

 

Middle East Eye: Iraqi PM Kadhimi becomes first foreign leader to meet Iran's Raisi 

Iraq has been trying to mediate between Tehran and its Gulf Arab foes in the hope of stopping its neighbours settling scores on its territory 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Sunday became the first foreign leader to visit and meet with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi since the hardliner took office in August. 

The visit is the latest step in Iraq's efforts to mediate between Tehran and its Gulf Arab foes, including Saudi Arabia, in the hope of stopping its neighbours settling scores on its territory.  

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Update #1: Iraqi PM becomes first foreign leader to meet Iran's Raisi (Reuters) 

Update #2: Iraq’s Kadhimi meets with Iranian president (Al-Monitor)  

WNU Editor: I am sure they also discussed the US defeat in Afghanistan.

Big Developments Are Happening In Iraq. Is Iran Invading?

Very big developments may be afoot in Iraq. The indispensable Abu Ali reports on a series of 9 unusual and worrying events that have taken place in the last 24 hours -- which, when the dots are connected, paint a worrisome picture. They are:

— Mike (@Doranimated) December 14, 2019

WNU Editor: Check out the thread for the above tweet. What caught my eye are reports that Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Qods Force of the IRGC, is in Baghdad right now. Wherever he goes, trouble always follows.

U.S. Officials: Iran Deploying Missiles Into Iraq

American officials said that Iran had capitalized on unrest in Iraq, where protesters demonstrated this week in Basra. © Essam Al-Sudani/Reuters

New York Times: Iran Is Secretly Moving Missiles Into Iraq, U.S. Officials Say

WASHINGTON — Iran has used the continuing chaos in Iraq to build up a hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq, part of a widening effort to try to intimidate the Middle East and assert its power, according to American intelligence and military officials.

The buildup comes as the United States has rebuilt its military presence in the Middle East to counter emerging threats to American interests, including attacks on oil tankers and facilities that intelligence officials have blamed on Iran. Since May, the Trump administration has sent roughly 14,000 additional troops to the region, primarily to staff Navy ships and missile defense systems.

But new intelligence about Iran’s stockpiling of missiles in Iraq is the latest sign that the Trump administration’s efforts to deter Tehran by increasing the American military presence in the Middle East has largely failed.

The missiles pose a threat to American allies and partners in the region, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, and could endanger American troops, the intelligence officials said.

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Update: Iran 'has been secretly stockpiling short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq to threaten US troops and allies' (Daily Mail)

WNU Editor: I see Iranian deployments and military operations as a response to the the impact that sanctions are having, and to divert the attention away from the growing unrest within Iran itself. But I do not think these Iranian actions are going to end sanctions, nor tone down the growing protest movement against the Iranian regime. The next step will be to escalate tensions by launching a military strike using their proxies in the region, and my gut tells me that this is what the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East are positioning themselves to be prepared for.

Leaked Iranian Intelligence Files Document Iran's Influence In Iraq

The Intercept/New York Times: Leaked Iranian Intelligence Reports Expose Tehran’s Vast Web of Influence in Iraq

In mid-October, with unrest swirling in Baghdad, a familiar visitor slipped quietly into the Iraqi capital. The city had been under siege for weeks, as protesters marched in the streets, demanding an end to corruption and calling for the ouster of the prime minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi. In particular, they denounced the outsize influence of their neighbor Iran in Iraqi politics, burning Iranian flags and attacking an Iranian consulate.

The visitor was there to restore order, but his presence highlighted the protesters’ biggest grievance: He was Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, head of Iran’s powerful Quds Force, and he had come to persuade an ally in the Iraqi Parliament to help the prime minister hold on to his job.

It was not the first time Suleimani had been dispatched to Baghdad to do damage control. Tehran’s efforts to prop up Abdul-Mahdi are part of its long campaign to maintain Iraq as a pliable client state.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The above article and this one are a must read .... From the Rubble of the U.S. War in Iraq, Iran Built a New Order (The Intercept).

More News On Leaked Iranian Intelligence Files That Document Iran's Influence In Iraq

The Iran Cables: Secret Documents Show How Tehran Wields Power in Iraq -- International New York Times
Leaked cables reveal scale of Iran's influence in Iraq -- The Guardian
Iran's grip on Iraq is revealed in leaked intelligence documents: Tehran is 'aggressively embedded' in its neighbour's affairs, pays informants to switch sides and bought information on US eavesdropping secrets -- Daily Mail
Leaked documents reveal scope of Iran’s influence in Iraq, US media report -- France 24
Reports: Leaked intelligence cables show Iran's sway in Iraq -- Al Jazeera
Iran spy agency leaks reveal 'vast' sway in protest-hit Iraq -- AFP
Trump's retreat in Syria could be an intelligence coup for Putin. The leaked Iran cables show just how that could happen. -- Business Insider
Iraqi officials say Iran runs ‘shadow government’ in Baghdad -- The National

Iraq Is Caught In The Middle In The Current Crisis Between Iran And The U.S.

DW: Iraq walks Iran-US tightrope as tensions escalate

The United States claims militia with ties to Iran are planning attacks against its personnel in Iraq. Whether true or not, tensions between Iran and the US are putting Iraq in a tough position.

The United States on Wednesday ordered all non-essential American diplomatic personnel out of Iraq amid heightened tensions with Iran.

State Department officials cited an "imminent" threat to US personnel from Iraqi Shiite militias with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Trump administration labeled the IRGC a terrorist group last month despite warnings that the move could endanger US personnel in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Iran subsequently labeled US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, a terrorist organization.

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WNU Editor: This increase in tensions is already impacting Iraq .... The Exodus Begins As Foreign Oil Companies Exit Iraq On Security Concerns (OilPrice.com).

More News On Iraq Being Caught In The Middle In The Current Crisis Between Iran And The U.S.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq move rockets in range of U.S. troops: Report -- Washington Times
Iraq, Fearing Another U.S. War, Warns Militias Against Provocation -- The New York Times
Allies hunker down in Iraq, drop out over US tensions with Iran -- Military Times
Iraq has contingency plans in case Iran gas imports halted: minister -- Reuters

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Tells Iraq To Expel U.S. Troops 'As Soon As Possible'

RFE: Iran's Supreme Leader Tells Iraq To Push U.S. Troops Out As Soon As Possible

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Iraq about the "detrimental" effects of having U.S. forces on its territory and urged its neighbor to get the troops to leave as soon as possible.

In a series of tweets after meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Tehran on April 6, the Iranian leader questioned the motives of the United States, saying it opposes Iraq’s "current democratic setting."

"U.S. military presence in Iraq is detrimental to countries and nations of the region. You should take actions to make the U.S. withdraw its troops from Iraq because wherever they have had enduring presence, forcing them out has become problematic,” he said in the first of five tweets.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Not going to happen.

More News On Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Telling Iraq To Expel U.S. Troops 'As Soon As Possible'

Iraqi govt. should take actions to force US troops out of Iraq: Ayatollah Khamenei -- MEHR News Agency
Iran's Khamenei urges Iraq to force out U.S. troops 'as soon as possible' -- Reuters
Iran leader calls on Iraq to demand US withdraw troops -- AFP
Iranian top leader urges U.S. forces exit from Iraq -- CGTN
Kick American ‘occupational forces’ out ASAP, Iran’s Khamenei urges Iraq -- RT
In Tehran, Rouhani and Abdul Mahdi back deeper Iran-Iraq ties -- Al Jazeera

Iranian President Rouhani Visits Iraq To Blunt U.S. Sanctions

DW: Iran's president visits Iraq to strengthen ties amid US pressure

Iran's president is on a high-profile visit to Iraq focused on trade. The visit sends a signal that Iran has regional options against the United States' "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in neighboring Iraq on Monday to kick off a three-day visit as the Islamic Republic is under mounting US pressure over its regional influence.

Rouhani's first official visit to Iraq — dubbed as a "historic" new start in relations by his foreign minister — is primarily focused on trade and investment at a time when Tehran is battling against economic isolation following the Trump administration's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposition of unilateral sanctions.

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WNU Editor: They have signed some deals, but nothing to "crow about".

More News On Iranian President Rouhani's Visit Iraq To Blunt U.S. Sanctions

Iran's President Rouhani seeks Iraqi help to mitigate US sanctions -- BBC
Iran's Rouhani signs trade pacts in Iraq to help offset US sanctions -- Reuters
Iran’s Rouhani seeks to boost ties on first visit to Baghdad -- AP
Iran Tries to Expand Business in Iraq to Blunt U.S. Sanctions -- The New York Times
Iran President Rouhani in Baghdad to 'expand ties with Iraq' -- Al Jazeera
Iraq attempts balancing act as Iran’s Rouhani arrives for first official visit -- France 24
Iranian president meets Iraqi leader in historic bid for 'new start'. -- UPI

Iranian 'Passports To Paradise' Discovered In Sacked Iranian Consulate In The Southern Iraqi City Of Basra

American Thinker: Iran's 'passports to paradise' found in Iraq

On Sept. 6 and 7, protesters in the southern Iraqi city of Basra took to the streets to protest against government corruption and its failure to provide basic services. These protesters also stormed Iran's consulate in Iraqi Basra, tearing down the Iranian flag and putting up an Iraqi flag in its place. In addition, they burned Iranian flags and pictures of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the streets while chanting, "Iran out, out!"

Here is a link to an Associated Press photo showing how bad it was: protesters trampling a portrait of Iran's Khamenei during the storming and burning of the Iranian consulate in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, last week.

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WNU Editor: Iraqi Arab Shiites and Iranian Persian Shiites may share the same religion, but ethnically and culturally they are different. This type of discovery is only going to feed the distrust between the two countries.

Iran's Supporters In Iraq Are Intensifying Their Push To Make The U.S. Leave

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr (L) and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hold a press conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, May 20. Daily Sabah

Amir Toumaj, Long War Journal: Analysis: Tehran’s push to force US exit from Iraq

While Iranian-backed parties are moving to form a government in Baghdad that could force the US to exit the country, they face growing public anger in oil-rich Basra over governance failures.

Anti-government demonstrators in the port city have set ablaze the offices of Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian consulate. Tehran and its militias claimed that the US and regional allies, as part of a broader conspiracy to topple the Islamic Republic, took advantage of the protests to instigate the attacks. The US missions in Iraq were then targets of rocket attacks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also launched ballistic missiles against Iraq-based Kurdish insurgents. Washington condemned the launch and accused Tehran of ordering its Iraqi proxies to launch the attacks against the US facilities.

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WNU Editor: With the deadline for U.S. oil sanctions on Iran fast approaching, this push by Iran to force a U.S. exit out of Iraq will only intensify. But the problem for Iran and its supporters in Iraq is that as we have learned by the recent massive unrest in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, they are terrible at governance, and support for them is limited .... Every Iraqi Government Building In Basra — Including Iran’s Consulate — Have Been Torched In The Past 48 Hours (September 10, 2018).

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Have Confirmed That They Launched Missile Strikes On Kurdish Rebels In Iraq

RFE: Iran's Revolutionary Guards Confirm Deadly Missile Strikes On Kurdish Rebels In Iraq

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it was behind a rocket assault on an Iranian Kurdish rebel group in Iraq that killed at least 11 people.

In a September 9 statement carried by Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency, the IRGC said it fired seven missiles in the attack a day earlier on the armed opposition group in northern Iraq.

"In a successful operation, the Guards' aerospace unit, along with the army's drone unit...targeted a criminal group's meeting and a terrorist training center with seven short-range surface-to-surface missiles," the statement said.

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Update #1: Iran's IRGC confirms firing 7 missiles at Iraq-based terrorists (Press TV - Iran)
Update #2: Iraq Protests Strikes as Iran Confirms Attacking Kurdish Rebels -- Bloomberg

WNU Editor: It is also a message to Baghdad .... Iran’s attack on Kurds is a message to Washington, Riyadh and Jerusalem (Jerusalem Post).

Iran Continues To Entrench In Both Syria And Iraq

Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Reuters

Arutz Sheva: ANALYSIS: Iran continues its entrenchment in both Syria and Iraq

Missiles given to Iraq by Iran can hit both Tel Aviv and Riyadh.

Iran is once again lying about its belligerent activities in Syria and Iraq, where the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carving out a new corridor from the Iranian border in Iraq’s Nineveh Province all the way up to the Israeli border on the Golan Heights. In addition it is now further building up its forces.

On Thursday last week, Reuters reported that Iran is building up a ballistic missile force in Iraq.

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WNU Editor: The problem is that Iraq and Syria want to be involved with Iran .... Iraqi Military Hosts Counterparts From Russia, Iran, Syria (RFE). More here .... Iraq hosts military chiefs from Iran, Russia and Syria (AFP).

Iraq Is Denying Reports That Iran Has Deployed Ballistic Missiles To Its Militias In Iraq

A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

Reuters: Baghdad: Reuters report of Iran moving missiles to Iraq is 'without evidence'

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it was “astonished” at a Reuters report that Iran had moved missiles to Iraq and that the article was “without evidence”, but stopped short of denying its contents.

“Iraq is not obliged to respond to media reports that lack tangible evidence backing up their claims and allegations,” the ministry said in a statement.

“All state institutions in Iraq uphold Article 7 of the constitution, which prohibits the use of Iraqi land as a base or passage to be used in operations targeting the security of other states.”

Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources told Reuters that Iran had given ballistic missiles to Shi’ite proxies in Iraq and was developing the capacity to build more there.

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Update: Iraq: Reuters report of Iran moving missiles to Baghdad 'without evidence' -- PressTV (Iran)

Previous Post: Iran Has Deployed Ballistic Missiles In Iraq (August 31, 2018)

WNU Editor: The U.S. wants answers .... Pompeo ‘deeply concerned’ about reports of Iran smuggling missiles into Iraq (Al Arabiya). And then there is this worrisome development .... Satellite photos said to show new Iranian missile factory in Syria (Times of Israel).

Declassified Interrogation Reports From A Major Shiite Leader Show The Extent That Iran Shaped The Iraq War And The Killing Of American Soldiers

This file photo taken on January 8, 2016 shows Qais Al-Khazali, the head of the Iraqi Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, speaking at a press conference in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. (AFP Photo/Haidar Mohammed Ali)

Times of Israel: Decade-old interrogation of Iraqi cleric shows Iran’s part in killing US troops

Recently declassified testimony of Shiite militia leader Qais al-Khazali details Iranian efforts to stoke 2007 attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Americans.

Interrogations by US-led forces in Iraq of a top Shiite military and religious figure a decade ago are bringing to light the scale of Iran’s involvement in Iraqi Shiite militias’ attacks on US troops in the years following the American invasion.

Qais al-Khazali, who now heads the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia that won 15 parliamentary seats in the country’s May elections, detailed the scale of Iranian involvement in the country in the 2007 interrogation, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing recently declassified documents.

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WNU Editor: This Iraqi militia leader .... who is now a major politician in Iraq .... is very blunt in outlining the role that Iran played in killing hundreds of Americans during the Iraq war.

More News On The Release Of Interrogation Files That Reveals The Role Iran Played In Killing Americans during The Iraq War

Declassified Interrogation Reports Show How Much Iran Shaped Iraq War -- The Wall Street Journal
Iraqi terrorist turned politician told U.S. interrogators he worked with Iran to kill Americans -- Washington Post
Newly released interrogation files demonstrate Iran’s long game in Iraq -- Long War Journal

Iran Has Deployed Ballistic Missiles In Iraq

A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

Reuters: Exclusive: Iran moves missiles to Iraq in warning to enemies

PARIS/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran has given ballistic missiles to Shi’ite proxies in Iraq and is developing the capacity to build more there to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional foes, Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources said.

Any sign that Iran is preparing a more aggressive missile policy in Iraq will exacerbate tensions between Tehran and Washington, already heightened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

It would also embarrass France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the three European signatories to the nuclear deal, as they have been trying to salvage the agreement despite new U.S. sanctions against Tehran.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Iran Has Deployed Ballistic Missiles In Iraq

Iran said to give Iraqi militias ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel -- Times of Israel
Report: Iran moves missiles to Iraq that can hit Tel Aviv -- YNet News
Iran moves ballistic missiles to Iraq -- Arutz Sheva
Tehran Reportedly Arms Iraqi Militias 'To Have Backup Plan If Iran Attacked' -- Sputnik

Iran And Iraq Sign Deal To Boost Military Ties

Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan [R] shakes hands with his Iraqi counterpart Maj. Gen. Erfan al-Hiyali after signing a memorandum of understanding on joint military cooperation. Photo: IRNA

Reuters: Iran and Iraq sign accord to boost military cooperation

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran and Iraq signed an agreement on Sunday to step up military cooperation and the fight against "terrorism and extremism", Iranian media reported, an accord which is likely to raise concerns in Washington.

Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan and his Iraqi counterpart Erfan al-Hiyali signed a memorandum of understanding which also covered border security, logistics and training, the official news agency IRNA reported.

"Extending cooperation and exchanging experiences in fighting terrorism and extremism, border security, and educational, logistical, technical and military support are among the provisions of this memorandum," IRNA reported after the signing of the accord in Tehran.

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WNU Editor: Yup .... Iran-Iraq military accord will raise US concerns (Irish Times). I would also add a few more countries to this list (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Israel, etc.).

Iran And Iraq Sign Deal To Boost Military Ties

Iran, Iraq vow to boost military ties -- Al Arabiya/AFP
Iran, Iraq Sign Deal Boosting Military Cooperation -- RFE
Tehran, Baghdad agree on military cooperation – Iran state media -- RUDAW
Iran & Iraq sign defense deal to step up military cooperation -- RT
Iran, Iraq signs military deal -- Trend News Agency
Iran, Iraq take steps for closer military co-op -- Tehran Times
Iran, Iraq sign MoU to boost defense and military cooperation -- Payvand

Iran's Shiite Militias In Iraq Are A Force To Reckon With

Washington Times: Iran positioning Shiite militias in Iraq as regional expeditionary force

Iran has positioned thousands of loyal Iraqi Shiite militia fighters around Mosul with a strategic goal of creating long-lasting armies inside Iraq that can also deploy as an expeditionary force to Syria, Yemen and other contested regions, analysts say.

The Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah Brigades, Badr Organization and other groups fall under the Baghdad-approved umbrella group known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. These mostly Shiite groups — some moderate, some extremists — are distinct from but coordinate with the Iraqi regular army, police and counterterrorism units. The ultimate goal is the same: Evict the Sunni extremist group Islamic State from the country.

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WNU Editor: More signs on high deeply divided Iraq is going to be when the war against the Islamic State is over.