Exclusive: IRGC's Qaani did not threaten a ground operation in Iraq
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Information relayed by a British newspaper regarding Iran's IRGC Quds Force commander threatening a ground operation in northern Iraq, during his recent visit to Baghdad, is baseless, sources told Al Mayadeen.
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IRGC Quds Force Commander General Esmail Qaani
Iranian sources told Al Mayadeen that there is no truth to what was reported by the Financial Times about a threat of a ground operation in northern Iraq by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force Commander, General Qaani, during his visit to Baghdad.
The sources confirmed that General Qaani "did not talk to Iraqi officials regarding the matter and did not threaten a ground or non-land invasion of northern Iraq."
It is noteworthy that Iran's ambassador to Baghdad, Muhammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq, said that "the commander of the Quds Force visited Iraq and met the three presidents," noting that "Iran has agreed with the central government and the authorities of the Kurdistan region to deploy Iraqi forces at the borders of Kurdistan."
Subsequently, the Iraqi government decided to draw up a plan for the redeployment of Iraqi forces along the borders with Iran and Turkey, which it said was "a plan to redeploy the Iraqi border forces to hold the zero line along the borders with the two countries."
According to the Fars news agency, the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad, Al-e Sadeq, confirmed Baghdad's approval of Tehran's request that the central government fully control the borders between the two countries.
IRGC reinforce West, Northwest borders to end separatist penetration
The IRGC sent reinforcements to Iran's western and northern borders to prevent terrorists from neighboring Iraq from entering, a senior commander said on November 25th, as the fight against separatist groups continues.
Brigadier-General Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Ground Forces, announced the deployment of armored units and a special unit of the IRGC Ground Forces along the country's western and northern borders.
General Pakpour said the move aims to “strengthen the units located on the border” and “prevent the infiltration of terrorists affiliated with separatist groups operating in Iraq's northern region.”
Pakpour stated that "following the movements of the separatist anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the northwest of the country and causing a state of insecurity in some areas, the IRGC ground forces, by strengthening the internal forces in the border area of the western and northwestern provinces of the country and taking advantage of the cooperation of the local people, will resolutely confront the factors causing insecurity in the region.”
Over the last two months, these terrorist organizations have sent troops and equipment to border cities in an attempt to incite instability and riots; some of their forces have also been detained.
The IRGC encouraged the Iraqi central government and the Iraqi Kurdistan region to fulfill their obligations to Iran and vow to take the right steps to secure their shared border on several occasions.
Read more: Iran sends letter to UN demand that Iraq shut down terrorist cells
