Iraq’s parliament recently completed most of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet. It represents Iraq’s version of power sharing not where parties are to be equals and balance each other out but rather where each winning party gets positions based upon the number of seats in parliament they win.
When Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi came into office he said one of his top priorities was to disarm the pro-Iran Resistance. He set a date of September 30 for that to be accomplished but has since backed down due to Iranian pressure. Talks over the matter are disparate and uncoordinated giving the pro-Iran groups the upper hand.
Al Mada reported that Iraq has slipped into the background for the Trump administration. That has led the U.S. to rely upon its usual mix of sanctions and threats against Baghdad as its only means to influence the country.
The United States is threatening a new wave of sanctions if the pro-Tehran Resistance does not disarm. At the same time Trump’s desire to get out of the Iran War may mean Washington may not push the issue much more.
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| Quds Force Commander Gen Qaani and other Iranian officials have been pushing Baghdad hard to give up its plans to disarm their allies the Resistance |
In Iraq the debate over the future of the Resistance has gone from demanding they disarm to compromising with them. This is the result of constant Iranian pressure upon Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi repeatedly said that September 30 was the deadline for the pro-Iran Resistance to disarm. After coming under pressure from Tehran and leading members of the ruling Coordination Framework he has now backed down over that date.
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| Iran's Quds Force Commander Gen Qaani recently visited Iraq to talk with the Resistance and the ruling Coordination Framework |
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has set September 30 as the date for the pro-Iran Resistance factions to disarm. Tehran is attempting to come up with ways to maintain its allies while not causing a conflict with Baghdad.
On July 29 the United States and Saudi Arabia launched a series of strikes against the Hashd throughout Iraq. Bases were hit in Baghdad, Basra, Diyala, Karbala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Wasit leading to the deaths of 20 Hashd members, the wounding of 32 along with 5 Iranian advisers being killed.
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| Imam Ali Brigade |
On June 10 the Joint Operations Command announced it was beginning the process of integrating the Imam Ali Brigade into the Iraqi forces. This was the third armed group to do so after Moqtada al-Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq.
Iraq’s Shiite elites and Hashd are worried about their political future. They are afraid that the United States not only wants the pro-Iran Resistance disbanded but their militias and financial power as well.
Prime Minister designate Ali al-Zaidi is coming under increasing pressure from both the United States and Iran over the direction of his cabinet. The two powers are diametrically opposed to each other leading to a deadlock in talks over forming the next government.
The Trump administration is keeping up the pressure upon the Iraqi elite to disband the Resistance and curtail Iranian influence. That’s been seen in new statements and sanctions.
The Trump administration dramatically increased the pressure upon Iraq to curtail Iranian influence in the country.
In March Iraq’s oil exports hit the lowest volume since the 2003 invasion due to the Iran War. The conflict is not over yet threatening the industry’s attempt to restart production. This is causing a financial crisis for the most oil dependent country in the world.
The news of the day was a series of strikes by the U.S. and Israel across Baghdad. The Federal Police’s 2nd Division was hit in Sabi al-Bour in the north. This was likely a mistake as a nearby Hashd base was also struck. Five police were wounded. A rocket landed on a house in Amiriya killing two civilians while an airstrike blew up a home on Palestine Street. The latter was used to store weapons for the Resistance. Jets also targeted locations in Jamila and Maghreb Street in the east. Five Hashd were wounded at a camp in Taji outside of the city in the north.
The pro-Iran Resistance was active in Kurdistan and Baghdad. A peshmerga headquarters was hit by four drones on April 5. The next day two blasts were heard near Irbil airport. Four missiles were shot down heading towards the U.S. consulate in Irbil city. Multiple drones were also intercepted in Irbil province with debris hitting a residential area killing two civilians. In Baghdad drones targeted the logistics support center at the airport.
The weekend marked a paradox in Iranian strategy towards Iraq. On the one hand there were a series of attacks upon the Iraqi oil industry and on the other a tanker with Iraqi petroleum passed through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said Baghdad would be exempt from its blockade.
The Hashd Commission and the pro-Iran Resistance gave some numbers on the impact of the Iran War. The Commission said that there had been 83 attacks upon Hashd units since February 28 leading to 73 dead and 61 injured. The Resistance on the other hand claimed it carried out 753 operations and 23 alone on April 3.
As the Iran War enters its second month Iran and its allies’ strategy has become apparent. They are focusing upon Iraq’s oil industry, the Kurds, the Baghdad Airport and neighboring countries. The Americans and Israel on the other hand don’t appear to have any plan.
Iraq’s parliament recently completed most of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet. It represents Iraq’s version of power ...
