By Amir Toumaj, Long War Journal:
An Iranian general from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began his new position this week as Tehran’s ambassador to Iraq. The selection of Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, the senior adviser to the commander of the IRGC extraterritorial branch the Qods Force, highlights Tehran’s strategy to assert itself as the dominant foreign power and block Washington’s influence in Iraq following the Mosul campaign.
Under the guise of Iran’s top diplomat in Iraq, Masjedi will likely coordinate key Iranian activities including support of Iranian-backed Iraqi groups, who dominate the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), in their quest to expand their network’s influence under the guise of helping to fill security vacuum in Iraq. Masjedi will also be involved in Tehran’s efforts to consolidate political influence via Iraqi allies in the upcoming provincial and parliamentary elections.
Opportunities and challenges ahead
Last month during a speech in Tehran, Masjedi hinted at potential paths for Tehran to increase its leverage in Iraq.
Masjedi has suggested that Iranian-assisted parallel security and intelligence groups at the provincial level could assist Iraq in combating the security threats of Sunni extremist groups. Masjedi said the Islamic State would become a “security group” following the liberation of Mosul, which is true, as affiliated militants have started to creep back into areas that they used to control, such as Salahuddin and Anbar, as covered in The Washington Post. In order to assist Iraqi security forces, Masjedi called for the formation of “popular intelligence organizations and security groups in various provinces using new equipment” provided by Iran. By “popular,” he means paramilitary groups, like IRGC-backed militias in the PMF, formed in parallel to regular Iraqi security forces. Masjedi hopes to exploit the opportunity to expand the footprint of the IRGC-backed network under the cover of helping the state address security voids.
The Qods Force general has hinted at another opportunity to expand irregular groups under the guise of addressing security issues. “Iran can prevent terrorism’s entry by creating networks that are formed in the borders of Iran and Iraq,” Masjedi said in what appeared to be a more proactive approach in combating insurgents such as the Islamic State and Kurdish separatists, all of which the regime calls “terrorists.”
Masjedi has indicated Tehran would yet again be involved in Baghdad’s upcoming elections. Iraq’s elections for provincial councils and council authorities are slated for September, followed by parliamentary elections in 2018. For more than a decade, the Qods Force has influenced key political decisions in Iraq, to extent that the selections of Iraqi prime ministers need Tehran’s sign off. Iraq’s upcoming elections are “very important,” Masjedi said. Indeed, political alliances and the balance of power have significantly changed since 2014. Masjedi reaffirmed Iran’s support for a unified Shiite National Alliance coalition, which is rife with deep fractures, as are the Sunni and Kurdish blocs. Tehran aspires to navigate through upcoming redrawing of the political landscape to shape the next Iraqi government.
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