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TheIranian intervention inIraq has its roots in the2003 invasion of Iraq by theUnited States and itsallies, when the infrastructure of the Iraqi armed forces, as well as intelligence, were disbanded in a process called "de-Ba'athification" which allowed militias with close ties toTehran to join the newly reconstituted army.
The intervention reached its peak following theadvance of theIslamic State into northernIraq in mid-2014. Iran began to provide military aid to counter the militant advance. Iran provided technical advisers to theIraqi government and weapons to theKurdishPeshmerga. Several sources, among themReuters, believe that since mid-June 2014, Iranian combat troops are in Iraq, which Iran denies.
The IraqiShia militiasKata'ib Hezbollah ("Hezbollah Brigades") andAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq ("League of the Righteous"), funded and trained by Iran, fought alongside theIraqi Army and Peshmerga in retaking territory from ISIL.
After the2003 invasion of Iraq by theUnited States andits allies, TheCoalition Provisional Authority disbanded theIraqi military, security, and intelligence infrastructure of PresidentSaddam Hussein and began a process of "de-Ba'athification".[26][27] This move became an object of controversy, cited by some critics as the biggest American mistake made in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein[28] and as one of the main causes of the rise of theIslamic State.[29]
TheBadr organisation, which fought alongside Iran in theIran-Iraq war, was seen as a U.S. asset in the fight againstBa'athist partisans because of their opposition to Saddam Hussein. Shortly after thefall of Baghdad, Badr forces and other militias with close ties to Tehran reportedly joined the newly reconstituted army, police, and Interior Ministry in significant numbers. The Interior Ministry was controlled bySCIRI, and many Badr members became part of the Interior Ministry-runWolf Brigade. The Iraqi Interior Minister,Bayan Jabr, was a former leader of the Badr Brigade militia.
TheIslamic Supreme Council of Iraq and various other parties with military wings, all with close ties with Tehran, had pioneering role in forming the governments with close ties to Tehran.
According to the U.S. military and U.S. State Department, theIraqiShia militiaKata'ib Hezbollah ("Hezbollah Brigades"), which has existed since 2003, has received funding, training, logistics, guidance, and material support from the IranianIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps'sQuds Force. Iran denies these claims.[6][30]
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq ("League of the Righteous"), anotherIraqiShia militia, formed in 2006, was assumed by Iraqi officials to have been receiving $2 million a month from Iran even before 2014, and assumed byThe Guardian to be under the patronage ofQasem Soleimani.[31]
In 2019,protests broke out in Iraq demanding the end of corruption, nepotism, unemployment, andpolitical sectarianism while also calling for an end to Iranian intervention in Iraqi affairs.[32] TheAbdul-Mehdi government, backed byIranian-backed militias used live bullets, marksmen, hot water, hot pepper gas, andtear gas against protesters, leading to many deaths and injuries.[33][34][35][36]
The protests resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi and his government, and the appointment ofMustafa Al-Kadhimi. A new election law was also passed by theCouncil of Representatives.
The2021 parliamentary election resulted in Pro-Iran parties losing seats in the newly elected Iraqi parliament and in turn led to2021 Baghdad clashes.[37][38][39][40]
In November 2021,Al-Kadhimisurvived an assassination attempt via an explosive drone, two drones were shot down by the army while the last one targeted his residence in the heavily fortifiedGreen Zone district of Baghdad.[41]
According to experts, the assassination attempt came as a response to pro-Iran parties losing seats in the2021 Iraqi parliamentary election.[42]
Tehran's strategic objectives in its intervention in Iraq include keeping theShia-led government in power and stabilising its border.[43][44]
Iran has attempted to limit its overt military involvement in Iraq as a strategy geared toward avoiding the polarisation of Iraq'sSunni minority, creating a popular backlash against Iran among Iraqis, or deepening sectarian tensions.[44] TheIRGC also attempted to create a more diversified model in Iraq, and began interacting more withIraqi Turkmen andFeyli Kurds.[45] Most Iranian aid has thus far come in the form of technical assistance, the commitment ofspecial forces troops, and air support. Iranian Brigadier-General Massoud Jazayeri stated that Iran could best help Iraq by providing it with direction on its "successful experiments in popular all-around defence" that included "mobilising masses of all ethnic groups."[46] Iran believes cooperation and unity among Iraq's fractious militias are essential in its battle against ISIL.[43] Ali Khamenei, in remarks delivered on 15 September 2014, credited "the people of Iraq, the Iraqi Armed Forces, and the popular forces" for halting the ISIL advance of the previous summer.[47]
The Washington Post reported that Iran has sent more than 1,000 military advisers to Iraq, and spent more than $1 billion on military aid.[48]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022) |
In the week of 14 June, according toThe Guardian, Iran'sQuds Force commanderQasem Soleimani was in Baghdad to organise an Iraqi counterattack against ISIL.[2] Press agencyReuters believes that since mid-June, Iran has had members of itsIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fighting on the ground in Iraq against ISIL, though it does not give an estimate of their numbers.[49]
According to Iranian social media, ISIL troops on 19 June attacked two Iranian border guards near Iran's border city of Qasr Shirin, but this has not been confirmed by authoritative sources.[50]
American war correspondentDavid Axe, on his website 'War is Boring', asserted that on 21 June 2014, "it appears Iran joined the air war" of Iraq and Syria against ISIL.[51]
By the end of June, according to American officials, Iran had established a control center at Al-Rasheed Air Base in Baghdad and was flying a small fleet ofAbabil drones over Iraq, and an Iraniansignals intelligence unit had been deployed at the airfield to intercept electronic communications between ISIL fighters and commanders.[52]
On 1 July, according toIISS, severalSu-25 aircraft were sent by Iran to al-Rashid and, later, to the al-Muthanna air base.[53] The aircraft were supported by bi-national Iranian/Iraqi ground crews who had been trained in Iran.[15] (During the1991 Gulf War, seven Su-25s had been flown by the Iraqi air force to Iran as a temporary safe haven, and Iran had kept them since; ironically, some of them may now have returned to Iraq.[53])
On 5 July, Quds Force pilot Shojaat Alamdari was killed in Samarra, probably working there as a forward air controller.[15]
Iraqi Kurdish President Barzani and Iranian foreign minister Zarif said, at the end of August 2014, that Iran had been the first country to provide weapons and ammunition (at an unspecified date) to the Iraqi Kurdish forces (Peshmerga). Zarif said that Iran cooperated militarily with the Iraqi central government and the Kurds, but that it had "no military presence in Iraq".[1]
In contradiction to that Iranian denial,Business Insider, without naming its sources, contends that in early August, Iran's IRGC sentQuds Force personnel, attack aircraft, and drones to Iraq and that since early August Iran was operating its Su-25 aircraft (see July 2014) in combat against ISIL.[15]
But in early August,Qasem Soleimani, chief of the IranianQuds Force, was indeed inErbil advising Kurdish forces, an Iranian official admitted in early October 2014.[54]
On 21–22 August, according to Kurdish sources, hundreds of Iranian soldiers, allegedly from Iran's 81st Armored Division,[55] helpedPeshmerga to take backJalawla inDiyala Governorate from ISIL. Iran subsequently denied any military presence in Iraq.[56]
There were unconfirmed reports of clashes between ISIL forces andRevolutionary Guard Corps units nearUrmia on 28 August.[57]
Between 31 August and 1 September, the Iranian-backedIraqiShia militiasAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq andKata'ib Hezbollah (see sectionBackground)joined an Iraqi army and KurdishPeshmerga assault to break the ISIL siege ofAmerli inSaladin Governorate. The attack was supported by the U.S. Air Force at the request of the Iraqi army, according to a statement by theU.S. Central Command.[6][58]
By early September, according toBusiness Insider, IranianQuds Force personnel were deployed toSamarra,Baghdad,Karbala, and the former U.S. military post known asCamp Speicher.[15]
In late September, Iranian generalAhmad Reza Pourdastan threatened to "attack deep into Iraqi territory" should ISIL forces approach the Iranian border.[59] Earlier in the month, the Iranian government announced it had arrested Afghan and Pakistani nationals attempting to "cross Iran" to join ISIL.[60]
There have been sporadic reports of ISIL troops inIranian Kurdistan. These claims are unverified.[61]
Iranian generalQasem Soleimani, chief of the IranianQuds Force, was reportedly present on the battlefield duringOperation Ashura. In early October, theIslamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) published a picture of Soleimani, purportedly on some battlefield alongside KurdishPeshmerga.[54] The Operation Ashura included Shi'ite paramilitary groups such asAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq,Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Badr brigades along with their leaderHadi Al-Amiri. Hezbollah was also present to provide technical advice and combat support for the allied offensive against the town of Jurf al-Sakhr.[62]
On 14 November, it was reported that the army had taken full control of Baiji, forcing ISIL forces to withdraw, and on 18 November, the anti-terrorism force Mosul Battalion entered the refinery for the first time since June. However, this could not be confirmed independently. If confirmed, it would be a major victory for Iraqi forces. State television said that they had entered the gates of the refinery.[63] Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Iraqi forces were in full control of Baiji. Iraqi state television said Baiji's recapture was a "Graveyard for ISIS".[64] Later, the US Department of State congratulated the Iraqi forces for retaking the country's largest oil refinery, confirming the Iraqi victory.[65]
At the end of November, according to the Israeli websiteHaaretz,Al Jazeera broadcast a video showing IranianF-4 Phantom jet-fighters bombing ISIL targets in northeastern Iraq, though Al Jazeera, in its report, alleged they were "Iraqi jet-fighters".[66] US rear Admiral John Kirby affirmed on 3 December that he had "indications that [Iran] did indeed fly air strikes with F-4 Phantoms" targeting ISIL positions in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala.[67]
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On 27 December, IranianIRGC Brigadier GeneralHamid Taqavi was killed inSamarra, Iraq, reportedly by an ISIL sniper.[68] He is the highest ranking Iranian military official to die in Iraq since Iran's military intervention began,[69] other than Qasem Soleimani.
On 2 March,Qasem Soleimani, commander of the IranianQuds Force, was directing Shia militia operations on the eastern flank during the surrounding of ISIL fighters, and was reportedly taking a leading role in the fighting of Iraqi forces and Shia militias against ISIL.[70][71]
Jim Phillips of the AmericanThe Heritage Foundation in March described Suleimani's role in this war as: "he's Iran's viceroy for Iraq".[72]
American news website TheLong War Journal states without revealing its sources that Iran has sentIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) andBasij members to fight ISIL in both Syria and Iraq.[73]
Jassem Nouri, a military commander of the IRGC, was killed on 28 May while fighting ISIL nearRamadi in Anbar province, according to Iranian sources.[73]
In late May, the American news websiteVox characterised Qasem Soleimani as "leading Iraq's overall military strategy against ISIL".[74]
In late June 2014, threeIranian border guards were killed along the border in westernKermanshah province by an alleged "terrorist group", however it is unclear if the assailants were members ofPJAK orISIL.[75]
There are at least 13 confirmed Iranians killed in Iraq:
| Name | Rank/Affiliation | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alireza Moshajari |  Captain,Saberin Special Forces[76] | 14 June 2014[77] | Disputed[77] |
| Kamal Shirkhani |  Colonel,Quds Force[78] | Mid-June 2014[78] | Samarra[78] |
| Shoja'at Alamdari Mourjani | Colonel,Aerospace ForceFighter pilot[78] | early July 2014[78] | Samarra[78] |
| Hamid Taqavi |  Brigadier General,Quds Force[79] | 28 December 2014[79] | Samarra[79] |
| Mehdi Norouzi | Unknown,Basij[80] | 10 January 2015[80] | Samarra[80] |
| Hossein Shakeri | Unknown, alleged "War photographer"[81] | 23 January 2015[81] | Samarra[81] |
| Reza Hosseini-Moghadam | Unknown, alleged "IRGC Commander"[82] | 7 February 2015[82] | Samarra[82] |
| Mohammad-Hadi Zolfaghari | Unknown[83] | mid February 2015[83] | Samarra[83] |
| Sadeq Yari Goldarreh | Unknown, alleged "Quds Force Commander"[84] | 20 March 2015[84] | Tikrit[84] |
| Ali Yazdani | Unknown,IRGC[85] | 23 March 2015[85] | Tikrit[85] |
| Hadi Jafari | Unknown,IRGC[85] | 23 March 2015[85] | Tikrit[85] |
| Kheirollah Ahmadi | Brigadier General,IRGC[86] | 4 February 2017 | nearTal Afar |
| Ali-Asqar Karimi | Unknown,IRGC[87] | 25 February 2017 | nearMosul |
| Shaban Nasiri | General,IRGC[88] | 26 May 2017 | between Qairawan and Baaj |
In late July 2014, it was reported that Ibrahim al-Haj, aHezbollah "technical specialist involved in training" was killed nearMosul.[89][90]
Iraq:
Iraqi Prime MinisterHaider al-Abadi said, "We do respect this Iranian commander and our collaboration with him is not a secret", adding that Iran was quick in selling arms to Iraq and helping Baghdad when Islamic State captured large areas in the country.
Hadi al-Amiri, leader of theBadr Organization, said, "If it were not for the cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran andGeneral Suleimani, we would not today have a government headed by Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad".[91] During theSecond Battle of Tikrit, Hadi al-Amiri said US has failed to live up to its promises to help Iraq fight ISIL, unlike the "unconditional" assistance being given by Iran.[92]
On 31 December 2014, Defence Ministers of Iran and Iraq signed a military pact to combat ISIS.[93]
"Iranians will try to calm the fears of the Sunnis instead of persecuting them because the Iranian officials know that it is in their best interest to keep Iraq united," said Hadi Jalo, a Baghdad-based political analyst. "For the Iranians, it is easier to dominate one country instead of three separate states."[94]
In addition to the aforementioned involvement,Iran has been even more engaged in the fight against ISIL, by providing financial and military support to the predominantlyShiite militias of thePopular Mobilization Units. This group was able to gain a foothold in the country's political and economic life after the defeat of ISIL.[95]
United States – Following the introduction of Iranian troops into Iraq in June 2014, PresidentBarack Obama said, "Iran can play a constructive role if it is helping to send the same message to the Iraqi government that we're sending."[96]
In July, Secretary of DefenceChuck Hagel offered further explanation, "We are aware of the Iranian and Russian efforts to help the Iraqis, but we are not involved in coordinating any missions."[97]
In September 2014, Secretary of StateJohn Kerry said the US "does not have any intention" of cooperating with Iran.[98] Nevertheless, later that month, Kerry met with Iranian foreign ministerMohammad Javad Zarif inNew York City where the two discussed ISIL.[99]
The US in December 2014 continued to deny cooperation with Iran with American Ambassador to IraqStuart E. Jones saying: "Let's face it, Iran is an important neighbour to Iraq. There has to be cooperation between Iran and Iraq. The Iranians are talking to the Iraqi security forces and we're talking to Iraqi security forces ... We're relying on them to do the deconfliction" in December 2014.[100]
At the end of March 2015, thechairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the US Armed Forces, Gen.Martin Dempsey, stated that Iran's overt role in theSecond Battle of Tikrit (March–April 2015) could be positive and could only become problematic if it descended into sectarianism.[101][102]
Canada – Speaking at the United Nations, CanadianForeign Affairs MinisterJohn Baird said Iran was "involved in a negative way in every single country in the region" and stated that Canada considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.[103]
China – China has said it wants Iran to be part of an "anti-ISIS alliance."[104]
France – In September, French officials suggested inviting Iran to an international conference of nations involved in theAmerican-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present), however, objections bySaudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates prevented such an invitation from being extended.[105]
India – In whatThe Hindu declared was a likely reference to the exclusion of Iran andSyria from the American-led intervention in Iraq, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in September said that "everyone must be included in a global fight against the terror we see in west Asia."[106]
Italy – Italian foreign ministerFederica Mogherini has said Iran can play a "positive role" in operations against ISIL and added that she hoped agreement could be reached by which Iran would join "the countries that are working to combat ISIL and support the Iraqi government."[107]
Israel – During an NBC television interview in June, Israeli prime minister,Benjamin Netanyahu, made known his concerns over American cooperation with Iran. He offered the following words of advice to President Barack Obama, "when your enemies are fighting one another, don't strengthen either one of them. Weaken both." Netanyahu also expressed his concern over Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, asserting it would be a tragic mistake that would make everything else pale in comparison.[citation needed]
Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) – Sheikh Nasser bin Ali al Ansi has connected the currentShia insurgency in Yemen to the conflict in Iraq, saying that "Iranian agents" are the common enemy across every theater of war in the Middle East.[108]
Russia – Russia has said it wants Iran to be part of an "anti-ISIS alliance."[104]At the same time as the Iranian intervention in Iraq, a parallel American-led intervention was occurring. Neither nation is known to have cooperated with the other in combating ISIL. Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani has dismissed U.S. involvement, noting that "Iran, from the very first moment, did not hesitate in fighting against terrorism. Other countries apparently had their doubts for quite some time ... they acted quite late in the game."[109] Rouhani went on to question the level of American commitment, noting that the U.S. had not committed ground troops, as Iran had[110] with, according toThe Economist, Iranian officials boasting of being the ground force for America's air strikes.[111]
On 29 September, in response to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the United States wanted "to find out if they [Iran] will come on board" the American-led intervention, Ali Khamenei declared the U.S. position on ISIL as "absurd, hollow and biased." Nonetheless, Khamenei also noted that some Iranian government officials were "not against" cooperation with the United States, explaining that he had personally quashed the suggestion of joint action against ISIL.[47] In follow-up remarks, the Iranian-affiliatedKata'ib Hezbollah declared it would "not fight alongside the American troops under any kind of conditions whatsoever," adding that its only contact with the United States military would be "if we fight each other."[105]
At least one Hezbollah official has indicated the party will continue to operate independently, or in concert with Iraqi and Iranian forces, against ISIL and will not cooperate with the U.S.-led coalition concurrently operating against ISIL.Mohammad Raad dismissed theNATO-centred coalition as neither serious nor sufficient to counter ISIL and noted that Hezbollah had initiated military operations against the ISIL prior to United States involvement.[112]
Despite the cool reception given by Iran and its allies to the United States intervention, some observers believe the U.S. coalition will eventually be forced into brokering an alliance with Tehran. Eyal Zisser ofTel Aviv University has explained that "the West is helpless and does not know what to do against the Islamic State" and that it will ultimately conclude it has no choice but to ally with Iran.[113]
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