Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani (L) stands at the frontline during offensive operations against Islamic State militants in the town of Tal Ksaiba in Salahuddin province March 8, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
Reuters: Iranian commander issued stark warning to Iraqi Kurds over Kirkuk
SULAIMANIA/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A senior Iranian military commander repeatedly warned Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq to withdraw from the oil city of Kirkuk or face an onslaught by Iraqi forces and allied Iranian-backed fighters, Kurdish officials briefed on the meetings said.
Major-General Qassem Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, traveled to Iraq’s Kurdistan region to meet Kurdish leaders at least three times this month before the Baghdad government’s lightning campaign to recapture territory across the north.
The presence of Soleimani on the frontlines highlights Tehran’s heavy sway over policy in Iraq, and comes as Shi‘ite Iran seeks to win a proxy war in the Middle East with its regional rival and U.S. ally, Sunni Saudi Arabia.
Soleimani met leaders from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two main Kurdish political parties in northern Iraq, in the city of Sulaimania the day before Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered his forces to advance on Kirkuk, according to a PUK lawmaker briefed on the meeting.
His message was clear: withdraw or risk losing Tehran as a strategic ally.
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WNU Editor: So much for those who hoped that two years ago the spirit of the Iranian nuclear deal would result in an era of cooperation and better understanding between Iran and the rest of the Middle East. From my vantage point .... and I hate to say it to those who still support that deal .... but the Iranians are working from an entirely different agenda.
More News On The Role That Iranian Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani Is Playing In Iraq
Iranian General Helped Iraqis Seize Kirkuk From U.S. Allies -- NBC
Iranian General Reportedly Played Key Role In Swift Takeover Of Iraq's Kirkuk -- RFE
CIA Director Confirms Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Was In Kirkuk -- Daily Caller
Why is Iranian master terrorist Qassem Soleimani distributing photos of himself in Iraq? -- Michael Rubin, Washington Examiner
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