Two agents of the Iranian regime’s Quds Force have been appointed to leading roles in the newly formed Iraqi government, prompting concerns that Tehran is attempting to clandestinely exert control on Iraqi policies from within the government, according to documents furnished by Iranian dissidents close to the ruling regime.
The newly appointed Iraqi ministers of communications and municipalities are both said to be active and paid members of Iran’s Quds Force, a paramilitary group implicated in terrorist activities throughout the region, according to information provided by the Ashraf Campaign (ASHCAM), which advocates for Iranian refugees.
At least two other newly appointed Iraqi government ministers also have close ties to Iran and have been on the Quds Force payroll in the past, although it is unclear if they are still working for the group, according to ASHCAM, which was provided with detailed information about all four ministers, including their bank account numbers in Iran and their history with the Quds Force.
The revelation that active Iranian military agents are playing central roles in the new Iraqi government has fueled ongoing concerns that Iran is trying to boost its influence in Iraq as its fledgling government attempts to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).
