Iran arming Iraqi militias with missiles

TEHRAN STRENGTHENS PROXIES IN REGION AS AL HOUTHIS LOSE GROUND IN YEMEN

Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to proxy armed groups in Iraq over the last few months and is helping those groups to start making their own.

Tehran has viewed with growing alarm the declining power of some of its proxies in the region, such as Al Houthis in Yemen, who are facing a full-blown assault by the Arab coalition. It is, therefore, attempting to beef up the firepower of its militia allies in other places, such as Iraq.

Iraqi, western and Iranian sources said another reason for Tehran’s weapons proliferation is to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional opponents.

The militias that are armed by Tehran have a track record of doing the Iranian regime’s bidding in Iraq.

An Iraqi official said it was difficult for the Iraqi government to stop or persuade the groups to go against Tehran. “We can’t restrain militias from firing Iranian rockets because simply the firing button is not in our hands, it’s with Iranians who control the push button,” he said.

Qassem Sulaimani, commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is overseeing the programme. The Zelzal, Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar missiles have ranges of about 200 km to 700 km.

Sources said the factories being used to develop missiles in Iraq were in Al Zafaraniya, east of Baghdad, and Jurf Al Sakhar, north of Karbala.

An Iraqi intelligence official said Baghdad had been aware of the flow of Iranian missiles to militias to help fight Daesh, but that shipments had continued after the group was defeated. “It was clear to Iraqi intelligence that such an arsenal sent by Iran was not meant to fight Daesh, but as a pressure card Iran can use once involved in regional conflict,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry yesterday dismissed a French call for more negotiations with Tehran over the international nuclear accord and said some of France’s partners are “bullying and excessive,” hinting at the United States.

There was no need for the 2015 agreement between Iran and six world powers to be renegotiated, foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasimi said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna).

“In the conditions when all of Iran’s efforts with other world powers is nullified through the bullying and excessive demands of some of the partners of the French foreign minister and their own inability... there is no reason, need, reliability or trust for negotiations on issues that are non-negotiable,” Qasimi said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday that, following the US pullout from the agreement, Tehran should be ready to negotiate on its future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen.

“French and international officials know well that Iran’s regional policy is in pursuit of peace and regional and international security and combating terrorism and extremism,” Qasimi said. The agreement, reached after years of painstaking negotiations, limited Iran’s nuclear development programmes in exchange for easing of sanctions.

Meanwhile, Iran has given ballistic missiles to Shiite proxies in Iraq and is developing the capacity to build more, to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional foes. According to sources, Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to allies in Iraq over the last few months. Five of the officials said it was helping those groups to start making their own.