Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian plans his first foreign visit to Iraq in September. He aims to sign pending agreements and strengthen ties with Baghdad.
Russia has been trying to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders in an effort to restore ties.
Iran convinced Iraqi militias to carry out attacks on US forces in Iraq between October 2023 and January, including Kataib Hezbollah's drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.
“Iran is holding the reins but its allies often disagree on the pace and direction of travel and that could lead to crashes.”
Behind the Lines: Tensions rise in Deir al-Zur as Iran-backed militias target US forces, highlighting the strategic battle over Tehran-Beirut arms routes.
A Turkish diplomatic source said that, with the agreement, a Joint Security Coordination Centre would be established in Baghdad along with a Joint Training and Cooperation Centre in Bashiqa.
A decade after ISIS’s genocidal campaign, the Yazidi community remains deeply scarred, struggling with displacement, mental health issues, and ongoing sectarian conflict.
Calls for the establishment of a Sunni self-rule region have surfaced multiple times over the years, beginning with the sectarian war in 2006.
IS is acquiring forces in the North Arabian Desert, and is training recruits to become suicide bombers, to attack allied troops.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the official said, but similar attacks in the past have been carried out by Iran-backed groups.