Iran threatens Iraq After Being Hit By Splinter Groups In Kurdistan

Iran: Blaming Kurds for unrest, Iran threatens Iraq with offensive. Is it a ploy to distract attention from the massive oppression of the thousands of protestors who have hit the streets or are there any element of legitimacy in Iran’s claim that some splinter groups in Northern Iraq’s Kurdish region inciting the protestors? Whatever may be the reason, for Iran’s internal turbulence getting a spillover?  As a matter of fact, the obstinate, unpopular rulers of Iran are facing a torrid time in containing the protests which were peaceful initially but turned out violent after being trampled by the most brutal form of repression in the history of Iran.

Also Read: LML vs Ola Electric scooter: Two Of The Best EV Scooters in Their Segment Compared To Facilitate Decision Making

A senior Iranian military official, Esmail Ghaani, out of haste visited Baghdad this week and threatened the newly installed Iraqi dispensation with a ground military operation in the country’s north, Kurdish Area if the Iraqi army does not fortify the countries’ shared border against Kurdish opposition groups.

An internal strife is being portrayed as a foreign ploy to underplay its inability in containing a nation-wide popular uprising

Such an offensive, if carried out, would be unprecedented in Iraq, and raise the apparition of regional fallout from Iran's domestic unrest, which Tehran has portrayed as a foreign plot without offering any tangible evidence.

The warning was delivered by Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani, who arrived on an unannounced two-day visit to Iraq. The force is an elite unit within Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRA).

Kurdish opposition groups long exiled in northern Iraq’s Suleimania, Erbil and Kirkuk regions are alleged to have been inciting the anti-government protests in Iran and smuggling weapons into the country. All these allegations are devoid of any evidence and so the present move of Iran seems at diverting international attention from that of brutal internal oppression to external connivance. 

It is unclear how serious the Iranian warning is, but it puts Baghdad in a quandary. The Northern part of Iran which is primarily a semi-autonomous region with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) at the helm of affairs, there is very little that the fragile Iraqi government can do. It is also notable that the KRG Government has the tacit support of the Americans. So the threat to the Iraqi Government was nonetheless a ploy to distract attention from a very genuine protest for overthrowing despotic Iran’s clerical rulers. The protest which erupted after the killing of a 22-year Kurdish girl Mahsa-Amini has turned out to be violent and it is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress the widespread agitation that has engulfed the entire country.

Iran has blamed the Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, accusing them of direct involvement and having ties with Israel. Ghaani arrived in Baghdad a day after the latest Iranian attack that targeted the bases in Koya, in the Erbil province of Northern Iraq in which at least three were killed.

Ghaani’s 2-point demand is beyond Iraq’s authority

Ghaani has come with a 2-point demand: Disarm the bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, and fortify the porous borders with Iraqi troops to prevent infiltration. This is apparently not feasible given the control that the Iraqi Government in Baghdad wields on the Kurdish region.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Leaks suggest that the flagship will have an extraordinary camera, here is what you need to know

If Baghdad does not meet the demands, which is obvious under the current political situation in Iraq, Iran would launch military aggression with ground forces and continue to bombard opposition bases. And such preposterous belligerence may escalate to adjoining areas and Turkey would be the first country from the North to prowl upon the opportunity. After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Turkey tried to annexe the oil-rich Kirkuk many a time, but with resolute KRG foiled all such attempts of Turkey. 

Kurdish opposition parties said their involvement does not go beyond providing moral support, raising awareness, and helping to provide medical care to injured protesters arriving from Iran.

Soran Nuri, a leading member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran, or KDPI, said he was aware of Iran’s demands. “We have never smuggled weapons to or from any country," he maintained.

“We are hoping (the Kurdish region) won’t succumb to these threats."

Altogether, entirely internal strife may escalate beyond the borders of Iran, which apparently Iranian unpopular rulers will solely be responsible for. Any turbulence in Iraq will have many takers, as it is one of the major oil-enriched countries. Syrian border which is sealed at the moment will become porous and a series of infiltration will start. Turkey is already there to prowl on rich oil fields. The already vulnerable Iraq will give way to many saboteurs-adjoining countries.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER.