An Iraqi Parliament Member: Iran Has Deployed 30,000 Military Personnel to Iraq

Sha'ban Abdullah, a member of the Defense and Security Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, accused Iran of sending 30,000 soldiers and military experts to Iraq. On Sunday, March 2, he told Al Jazeera that Iranian forces are engaged in battle with the Islamic State in various cities within Iraq. According to Abdullah, who is from the Kurdish region of Iraq, the presence of Iranian military personnel in Iraq goes 'beyond military advice and expertise' and they are fighting under the title of 'Popular Mobilization Forces' (Hashd al-Shaabi). Previously, Masrour Barzani, the head of intelligence and security in Iraqi Kurdistan, expressed concern about the future presence of Shiite militias supported by the Islamic Republic in the country. Barzani stated that the use of these militias in Iraq could create a problem 'greater than ISIS' by exacerbating tensions between Shiites and Sunnis. The Islamic Republic has consistently denied sending military forces to Iraq, claiming that the presence of senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, such as Qassem Soleimani, is solely for providing military advice to Iraqi forces. Despite this, numerous reports in international media have emerged in recent months about the deployment of Iranian military forces to fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). During this period, several members and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have also been killed in Iraq. Additionally, reports of the transfer of weapons and military equipment from Iran to Iraq have been published. In December of last year, images of F-4 fighter jets flying over Diyala province in Iraq were released, and since only Iran and Turkey possess such aircraft in the region, it was reported that these jets likely belonged to the Iranian Air Force. Turkey is not participating in military operations against the Islamic State. In August 2014, Iran was also accused of sending hundreds of military personnel to Iraq to retake the city of Jalawla near its borders with Iraq.