Baghdad won’t be just a spectator in Syria, Iraqi PM says

BAGHDAD,— Iraq will not stand idle in the face of the crisis in Syria, where it believes certain groups are suffering from ethnic cleansing, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Tuesday.

His remarks were shared in an official statement summarizing a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the call, Prime Minister Sudani emphasized Iraq’s commitment to safeguarding the stability and security of both Iraq and Syria.

The statement from his office highlighted his resolve, saying Iraq would make every effort to ensure the region’s security and prevent further escalations.

“What is unfolding in Syria today benefits the Zionist entity [Israel],” Sudani was quoted as saying, referencing recent Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military positions. He claimed these strikes created conditions that allowed terrorist groups to expand their control in the region.

The situation in Syria remains volatile, with Turkey-backed Islamic jihadi militant groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad achieving significant territorial gains, including the capture of Aleppo last week. This marks one of their largest victories in years. Iraq’s government, which is Shi’ite-led and closely aligned with Iran—an ally of Assad—has a vested interest in the conflict. Iraqi militia fighters have also supported Assad’s forces during Syria’s civil war.

On Monday, two Iraqi security officials and a senior Syrian military source told Reuters that hundreds of Iraqi Shi’ite militia fighters crossed into Syria late Sunday to assist Assad’s troops in halting the Turkey-backed jihadists advance. However, the head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization of major Shi’ite militias with ties to Iran, denied that any affiliated groups had entered Syria.

Islamic jihadi group leaders claim their recent successes have faced little resistance, partly due to the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters. The powerful Lebanon-based group, another key Iranian ally, is said to have shifted its forces to confront Israel amidst escalating tensions in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on what it describes as Iranian-linked military targets in Syria over the past year. These operations coincide with its confrontations with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, further entangling the already complex regional dynamics.

(With files from Reuters)