U.S. Officials: Iran Has Sent Artillery and Soldiers to Baiji, Iraq

U.S. military officials have stated that Iran has entered the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) by sending soldiers, artillery, and other types of heavy weaponry to reclaim the Baiji oil refinery in Iraq from them. Two senior U.S. military officials told the Associated Press on Friday, May 22, that Iranian forces have significantly engaged alongside Iraqi Shiite militias against ISIS forces at the Baiji refinery in recent days. Baiji, located in northern Iraq, is the largest oil refinery in the country. One U.S. military official mentioned that Iranian forces in Baiji have utilized artillery, 122mm rockets, and reconnaissance and surveillance drones to assist the Iraqis. This statement comes despite the latest announcement from U.S. armed forces, which made no mention of Iranian forces' role in the recent Baiji conflicts. The announcement, issued by the U.S. Central Command in Kuwait, stated that Iraqi forces, with American assistance, have succeeded in opening a ground route into the Baiji refinery. According to U.S. Central Command, the Iraqis have begun to equip and reinforce their forces that are besieged within the refinery. The Associated Press referred to Iran's role in Iraq as a complex factor in the equations of the Obama administration, which is seeking the most effective solution to combat the Islamic State group. According to this report, U.S. officials have stated that as long as the Iranian-backed Shiite militias are under the command and control of the Iraqi government, they have no objections to their operations. General Thomas Vandal, head of the U.S. armed forces command in Kuwait, stated that in the past three days, Iraqi forces have made steady but slow progress in reclaiming areas leading to the Baiji refinery. According to Mr. Vandal, this has been made possible with air support, reconnaissance, and consultations from the U.S.-led international coalition. This U.S. military official also mentioned that he currently has no opinion on the role of Iranian forces in Baiji but promised to address the issue. ISIS forces have recently taken control of a significant portion of the Baiji refinery. Complete capture of this refinery and utilization of its resources could yield millions of dollars in profit for the group. They also control the city of Baiji, which is located on the route between Baghdad and Mosul, alongside the Tigris River. The Islamic State group successfully captured the city of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, completely last summer, and last week also took full control of the city of Ramadi, the center of the Sunni-majority Anbar province. Reports also indicate that the Islamic State group has seized half of Syrian territory. In this context, ISIS has reached 'five kilometers' from the base of Iraqi Shiite militias.