Iraq Seeks to Formalize Visits of Iranian Generals Through Official Channels

An informed source revealed efforts to formalize Iranian general visits to Iraq through official channels. These efforts aim to limit non-Iraqi military advisor activity after September 30, including Iranian and American advisors, limiting their presence to official channels. This approach links to the approaching September 30 deadline, associated with the armed factions' weapons file and coinciding with the international coalition's mission end. The source clarified this date marks a deadline for establishing Iraqi sovereignty, noting the coalition's mission end must coincide with ending other foreign presence justifications. The proposed mechanism stipulates any foreign military official or advisor must submit a visit request through official channels, obtain an entry visa, and have predetermined meetings with Iraqi officials. No official government decision on these measures has been announced yet. This move follows a series of undeclared visits by Iran's Quds Force commander, General Esmail Qaani, to Iraq since Al-Zaidi assumed the premiership on May 14. Information indicates Qaani entered Iraq at least three times, with two visits not officially announced. The first undeclared visit occurred days after a formal visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Baghdad in late June. Reports indicated one of Qaani's visits carried Iranian demands to armed faction leaders not to hand over their weapons to the government. Iranian military officials often entered, especially during early stages of the war between the United States and Israel and Iran on February 28, via land borders with Iraq. On July 29, five advisors from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in American and Saudi strikes targeting armed factions' positions in Iraq. Information revealed their presence at the Abu Muntadhar al-Mohammadi camp in Diyala province, near the Iranian border. In March, Iraqi reports stated an Iranian advisor and four other Iranians working with armed factions were killed in a strike targeting a house in Baghdad's Jadriya area. An Iraqi official reported last May that some Iranian advisors entered Iraq without entry visas. Reports of undeclared visits by IRGC officials to Iraq have recurred for years, including Qaani and former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, assassinated near Baghdad airport in January 2020. These visits, often away from official announcements, involved meetings with political and security officials and armed faction leaders, without disclosing details or programs from either side.