Iran has become the main foreign power supporting Iraq in
its fight against the Islamic State (IS). Currently, a large number of Iranian
advisers are involved in the taking of the Baiji Refinery and surrounding area
in Salahaddin province. At the same time, Iranians are heading west for Anbar
where the effort to retake Ramadi from the Islamic State is now being led by
the Hashd many of which are supported by Iran. That led to another loss for the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Wherever there is major action in
Iraq the Iranians can be expected to be taking part.
In April
2015, right after the taking of Tikrit, the Islamic State assaulted the
Baiji Refinery. IS had attacked there before, but made its biggest
advance this time taking over 50% of the facility. Government forces and Hashd
al-Shaabi units including members of the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl
Al-Haq, the Khorasani Brigade, Kataib Imam Ali, and Jund al-Imam were sent to
relieve the besieged unit protecting the refinery. Iranians were in a supporting
role operating artillery, rockets, mortars, anti-tank missiles, and flying
drones to collect intelligence. Iranians and their allies Lebanese
Hezbollah were also not only providing advisers
at Baiji, but were also said to be fighting on the frontlines. An officer from
the Energy Police told Iraq Oil Report that the Iranians and Lebanese were
wearing civilian and Hashd uniforms to blend in and not stand out as
foreigners. There was so much press about Tehran’s involvement that its Foreign
Ministry issued a statement
denying that it had troops in Baiji, but did admit to advisers. Salahaddin has
been the main province where Iranians and Lebanese have been present in Iraq. Tehran
is justifying its intervention in Iraq in part to protect the shrines there
including the Golden Dome mosque in Samarra, Salahaddin. It was reported
that up to 1,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and
150 Hezbollah advisers took part in the Tikrit operation in March. Many of
those same men are now probably involved in the fighting in Baiji.
The fall of Ramadi has also led Iranians to move into Anbar.
The operation there was announced
by the Hashd forces. The Badr
Organization is pushing towards Ramadi from the northeast and Kataib
Hezbollah from the south. These groups are close to Iran, so wherever they go
they are accompanied by Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah advisers. That was
highlighted by the fact that a commander in the IRGC Jassem Nouri was killed
outside Ramadi on May
28. Nouri was a member of the Basij militia who are often called upon for
manpower during major commitments by the Revolutionary Guard. This was the
eighth IRGC member to be killed in Iraq since the fall of Mosul in June 2014.
Two Iranians died in June. Two colonels were killed in July, followed by a
general killed by a sniper in Balad, Salahaddin in December, another commander
from the Basij in that same province in January 2015, and a second general in
February. There is talk
that four more Iranian commanders died during the April fighting to take
Tikrit. Probably many more rank and file IRGC members have been killed as well.
Syria and Iraq are the two most pressing foreign policy issues for Tehran and
they have committed a large number of their forces to protect their interests
there. As they are often advising from the front, and taking part in the
fighting it is only natural for them to take losses such as these.
SOURCES
Coleman, Luke, “US Official: Iran is Fighting Alongside ISF
and Shi’ite Militia in Baiji,” Bas News, 5/23/15
Daragahi, Borzou and Solomon, Eika, “Iraq launches operation
to retake Ramadi from Isis,” Financial Times, 5/26/15
Duman, Bilgay, “A New Controversial Actor In Post-ISIS Iraq:
Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi (The Popular Mobilization Forces ),” Center for Middle
Eastern Strategic Studies, May 2015
Iraq Oil Report, “Iraqi forces overpowered at Baiji
refinery,” 4/30/15
Al Mada, “Iran denies sending troops to Iraq to restore
Baiji,” 5/27/15
- “The popular crowd assisted by Iranian advisers and 4
thousand Sunni fighters in battles north of Tikrit,” 5/26/15
Morris, Loveday, “Pro-Iran militias take upper hand after
U.S.-backed forces crumble in Anbar,” Washington Post, 5/30/15
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, “Iranian Military Officer
Killed While Advising Shi’ite Militia Near Ramadi,” 6/1/15
Roggio, Bill and Weiss, Caleb, “Iranian military commander
killed fighting in Ramadi,” Long War Journal, 5/31/15
Van Heuvelen, Ben, Al-Najaf, Kamaran, Naji, Jamal, “Iraqi
forces lose initiative as IS hits Anbar, Baiji,” Iraq Oil Report, 4/16/15
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