Firouzabadi: We are ready to send weapons to Iraq

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran confirmed the presence of some Iranian military commanders in Iraq for "advisory work" and stated, "We are prepared to send weapons and other equipment to this country legally if requested by the Iraqi government." According to Fars News Agency, Hassan Firouzabadi said on Saturday, December 1, "Since the attack of ISIS on Mosul, the Iraqi authority took a stance against it, and this view led the people of Iraq to rush to join the army, and thus they no longer need military assistance from any country to defend their territory." He added, "However, because the security of our country and Iraq is the same, we could not remain indifferent to the oppression they were facing." According to Firouzabadi, "experienced and capable individuals" and some "brave" military commanders from Iran are present alongside Iraqi commanders to assist them. He referred to Iran's assistance to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in coordination with the central government of that country, adding, "These Iranian aids have created unity among Iraqi forces." In recent months, various reports have emerged about the presence of Iranian military forces and Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, in Iraq. Officials from the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry have denied these reports, while some IRGC commanders have confirmed Soleimani's presence in Iraq. Yadollah Javani, senior advisor to the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, stated in an interview with Al-Alam on October 20 regarding a photo recently published of Qassem Soleimani alongside several Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq that "General Soleimani is present at the front lines." Previously, Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, had also confirmed that Qassem Soleimani was present during the battle against the forces of the "Islamic State" in Iraq. Reports indicate that Haider al-Abadi, the new Prime Minister of Iraq, discussed developments in Iraq, especially the advances of ISIS, with Iranian officials during his visit to Tehran in late October. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, told Mr. al-Abadi during their meeting that Tehran would not withhold any assistance from the Iraqi government that it was capable of providing. In recent days, militants from the group known as "Islamic State" or ISIS in Iraq announced on the group's social media accounts that they had downed and captured an Iranian drone. Photos of the claimed Iranian drone were also published on these pages.