Iran’s Revolutionary Guard expresses readiness to train Iraqi forces… why?
Although Iran has played a negative role in Iraq for years, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami discussed enhancing security co-operation and support for Iraqi armed forces with Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed Saeed Reza al-Abbasi during a meeting in Iran.
Salami welcomed Iraqis to the headquarters of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and boasted of relations between the two countries. The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that external forces are seeking to “control” and divide Iraq, saying that it is an attempt to divide two Muslim countries, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.
The Iraqi defense minister said he wants to strengthen Iraq’s defenses and supports the formation of a joint committee between the two countries to work on co-operation. “Our approach is to benefit from Iran’s expertise in all fields, particularly in defense and security,” Abbasi said. “We are interested in using our expertise by sending our delegations of technical experts to Iran.”
It is not entirely clear what the IRGC would offer, but it is already in the spotlight, given that the US considers it a terrorist organization, as the EU does.
Iran’s desire to move closer to Iraqi security forces is part of its regional goal of expanding its influence in Iraq.
“The IRGC was already associated with prominent Iraqi politicians in the Interior Ministry, as well as with commanders of PMU units, and its influence caused Iraqi popular discontent.”
“Although Iran has militias in Iraq, operating through the Hezbollah, Badr, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq brigades, potential training for the Iraqi official army would be a new step.”
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Reza hinted that the IRGC was ready to provide “advice and assistance,” “including in the field of training at the lower to higher levels of the Iraqi armed forces,” according to the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Qods Force.
According to a Jerusalem Post report, the IRGC’s training of the Iraqi army will complicate U.S. support for the Iraqi security forces, as part of the anti-IS mission, despite Washington’s withdrawal from most military installations.
The Iranian-backed PMF militias were implicated in dozens of attacks on U.S. forces between 2019 and 2021, as well as targeting the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including Erbil Airport, a site currently used by the United States, according to a translation by Al Arabiya.
“It is not far-fetched that Iran plans to fill the vacuum left by a U.S. withdrawal in Iraq, even though Baghdad has invited U.S. forces from Central Command currently in Iraq.”
“If Iran moves to consult and train Iraqi forces, it would be a reason for Iran to encourage Iraq to ask for the departure of U.S. forces, according to the report.”
