Iraq’s Prime Minister asserts that the country will actively engage in the situation in Syria

Iraq’s Prime Minister has asserted that the country will not remain passive regarding the situation in Syria, where he believes various groups and sects are suffering from ethnic cleansing. This statement was made during a phone conversation with Turkey‘s President, as reported by his office.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani emphasized that Iraq is committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure the security of both Iraq and Syria. He expressed concerns that the current events in Syria serve the interests of Israel, which has been accused of targeting Syrian military positions, thereby enabling terrorist factions to gain control over more territory.

Recently, Sunni Muslim rebels opposing President Bashar al-Assad made significant gains by capturing the city of Aleppo, marking their most substantial progress in years. Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government maintains strong ties with Iran, a key ally of Assad, and Iraqi militia forces have previously supported Assad’s regime in the conflict.

According to two Iraqi security officials and a senior Syrian military source, numerous Iraqi Shi’ite militia fighters crossed the border on Sunday night to assist Assad’s forces against the advancing rebels. However, the leader of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, which encompasses major Shi’ite militia groups aligned with Iran, stated that no affiliated group has entered Syria.

Syrian rebels have reported that their recent advances faced minimal opposition, partly due to the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces, a significant Iranian ally, which redirected its focus to confront Israel in Lebanon.

Israel has consistently targeted what it claims are Iranian-affiliated military sites in Syria and has intensified these operations over the past 14 months amid its ongoing conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.