Iraq braces for renewed Iran conflict after 1,000 strikes on Kurdistan, 600 militia attacks
Iraq is on edge over the prospect of renewed fighting with Iran after Tehran carried out some 1,000 strikes on the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. Additionally, Iranian-backed militias launched roughly 600 attacks inside Iraq, most of them on US diplomatic facilities. Iraq closed some border crossings with Iran, including the Al-Sheeb crossing in southern Iraq, on Wednesday, saying it needed upgrades to security and technical infrastructure.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says that Iran's strikes in Iraq came during a war that began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in February. The outlet reported this the day before. Without it a reader believes Iran's 1,000 strikes were an unprompted assault, and does not know who began the fighting that Iraq fears will resume.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post wrote earlier“Iran has sought to make Iraq a frontline of the war since the US and Israel began airstrikes in February.”Iraq believes Israel may have struck militia weapons supplied by Iran - report (opens in a new tab)
Left out here: Drops what it reported before
The article lists only Iranian and Iran-backed attacks inside Iraq. It leaves out that Iraqi authorities suspect Israel struck two sites in Iraq storing Iran-supplied air defence systems the week before, which the outlet reported the previous day. A reader is left to think the only strikes raising tension in Iraq come from Iran's side.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post wrote earlier“Iraq believes that Israel was behind recent strikes on two sites”Iraq believes Israel may have struck militia weapons supplied by Iran - report (opens in a new tab)
- Ynet News (English) reported“Iraqi authorities suspect that two facilities storing air defense systems supplied by Iran to pro-Iranian militias were targeted in airstrikes last week.”Netanyahu denies clash with IDF chief over Iran as mystery Iraq strikes raise tensions (opens in a new tab)
Iran criticized the decision, saying Baghdad failed to provide advance notice and rejected allegations that narcotics and counterfeit currency are being smuggled into Iraq through border crossings, according to a Rudaw report. This crossing, also known as Al-Shaib, was the first targeted for closure in Maysan Governorate. This crossing is believed to be near an area where an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq launched a drone strike on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline in September.
Rudaw also reported that, in retaliation, Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani called for restrictions on Iraqi oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has denied reports that Ukrainian forces, military units or drones are operating from its territory. The KRG Interior Ministry issued a statement on Thursday rejecting the allegations as baseless, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
However, the source of the reports remains unclear.
The ministry emphasized that the Kurdistan region maintains a policy of neutrality in regional and international conflicts. It said it would not allow its territory to serve as a base for hostile military operations against other countries. The statement reflects the KRG's efforts to avoid being sucked into conflicts involving Iran, as Tehran has been pressuring Iraq to expel Kurdish-Iranian opposition groups that are present in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.Iraq, Jordan move to strengthen bilateral security In another development, Iraq and Jordan have emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral security cooperation.
According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Iraqi Interior Minister Yasser al-Maliki spoke by telephone on Wednesday with his Jordanian counterpart, Mazen al-Faraya. Faraya congratulated Maliki on assuming his new position, and the two officials discussed expanding coordination between their interior ministries. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the conversation reflected the two countries' commitment to strengthening security and stability through closer cooperation.
The discussion comes as Baghdad seeks to manage security along its borders. While Jordan and Iraq have positive historic ties, the desert area near Jordan and Syria in Iraq's Western Anbar area has been a source of threats in the past. This is a largely tribal, sparsely populated area that could become a security vacuum following the US withdrawal from Iraq and Syria.Iraq is also focusing on security along its western border with Syria.
According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Defense Minister Nayef Mukayif al-Shammari conducted an aerial inspection tour on Saturday of Iraqi military units deployed along the Iraq-Syria border in Nineveh province. The Iraqi Defense Ministry said the visit aimed to review force deployment and positioning along the border and assess operational readiness.
Read the original article on jpost.com (opens in a new tab)