Iraqi President: US Airstrikes on Tikrit Will Begin Soon

Fouad Massoum, the President of Iraq, stated on Wednesday, March 25, that the US-led coalition will soon commence airstrikes against positions of the Islamic State group, known as ISIS, in the city of Tikrit. In an interview with Reuters, Massoum emphasized that these strikes will begin after reconnaissance flights and necessary preparations for air support have been completed. The Iraqi army's operations, alongside Iranian-backed Shiite militias, to retake Tikrit, the birthplace of former dictator Saddam Hussein, from ISIS have seen limited progress in the past week due to the resistance from ISIS-affiliated forces in the city. Meanwhile, the Iraqi President told Reuters that the international coalition forces led by the US began their reconnaissance flights over Tikrit on Tuesday, and airstrikes will commence after gathering and analyzing this information. According to Reuters, the largest offensive operation by the Iraqi government to reclaim Tikrit has been halted due to concerns over military and civilian casualties in the city. The US previously had no role in this operation. Leaders of the Shiite militias oppose the presence of US-led international coalition forces in the Tikrit operation. The Iraqi President stated that the Iraqi government, along with citizens in the areas where operations are ongoing, seeks a more active participation from the international coalition forces. However, Hadi al-Amiri, a key commander of the Shiite militias in Iraq, told Reuters in Samarra that he was unaware of the Iraqi government's decision to request airstrikes from the international coalition against ISIS positions and had not been consulted on this matter. Al-Amiri added, 'If we need airstrikes, we will ask our government to carry out this action, but so far, we have not made such a request.' Meanwhile, Fouad Massoum acknowledged that US forces have been reluctant to join the battle in Tikrit alongside Iranian-backed Shiite forces. The Iraqi President stated that if coalition forces had previously had doubts about supporting the Iraqi army in the Tikrit operation, those sensitivities have now been resolved. He added that the participation of international coalition forces will undoubtedly be impactful. According to Reuters, if airstrike operations begin, US forces will once again actively join Iranian-backed forces in operations against ISIS. The US and international coalition forces had previously provided air support in the liberation of the city of Amerli from Shiite militia operations. The Tikrit operation began over three weeks ago with the participation of more than 20,000 Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militias. Initially, the operation saw some progress, and currently, parts of the city are under the control of Shiite militias. However, the operation to fully capture Tikrit has seen limited progress in recent days. Reports indicate that several Iranian commanders, including Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are advising Iraqi Shiite militia forces in this operation.