News On Iran & Its NeighboursIraqPetraeus: More Iran involvement in Iraq

Petraeus: More Iran involvement in Iraq

-

UPI: Iran’s role in fomenting violence in Iraq is greater than the U.S. military understood even a month ago, Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday. United Press International

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) — Iran’s role in fomenting violence in Iraq is greater than the U.S. military understood even a month ago, Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday.

Iraqi Shiite militia members — a secret cell of the Jaysh al-Mahdi, which is loyal to cleric Muqtada Sadr — have received funding, advanced explosives and training on Iranian soil, and “in some cases advice and … even a degree of direction,” Petraeus, the commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, said.

“There’s no question … that Iranian financing is taking place through the Quds force of the Iranian Republican Guards Corps,” he said.

The U.S. military is holding the leaders of the Khazali cell that in January attacked a U.S. Army team in Karbala, kidnapping four and killing five.

“The Iranian involvement has really become much clearer to us and brought into much more focus during the interrogation of … the heads of the Khazali network, and some of the key members of that network that have been in detention now for a month or more,” Petraeus said.

“We think that records are kept so that the individuals that carry out these attacks can demonstrate what they’re doing to those who are providing the resources to them, providing the additional funding, training, arms, ammunition, advanced technologies and so forth,” Petraeus said.

However, Petraeus said there was no evidence of a direct link between Iran and the Karbala operation. “I can’t say it wasn’t there either, but we did not find, if you will, a direct fingerprint to it,” he said.

In February, the U.S. military held a controversial background briefing to lay out its case against Iran, accusing the country of providing sophisticated roadside bombs and mortars to Iraq’s militias and insurgents.

Latest news

 Statistics show that New Year accidents’ deaths in Iran reached 585

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Information and Traffic Control Center of the Iranian regime’s police, announced that the...

Land Subsidence in Critical Conditions in Isfahan

Mehdi Toghyani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed to the occurrence of land subsidence in various...

Iran’s Actual Inflation Rate Higher Than Official Stats

The state-run Donya-e-eqtesad newspaper, in a report analyzing the "general sentiment" regarding inflation in 2023, has stated that households...

Iranian Workers’ Monthly $136 Wages Can’t Cover $500 Expenses

The lives of a significant portion of the Iranian population are marked by uncertainty, largely because the Iranian economy...

Iranian Nurses Earn Twice Their Wages in Ride-Hailing Services

Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses...

Iran: Unprecedented Record of 152 Million Liters of Gasoline Consumption Per Day

On March 19, Iran set a new historical record in gasoline consumption with 152 million liters consumed in one...

Must read

Iran poll challenger accused of ballot fraud

The Guardian: Iran's presidential election was thrown into uncharted...

US still considering diplomatic presence in Iran

AFP: The Bush administration is still considering setting up...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you