Iranian Quds Force chief warns Iraqi leaders of imminent Israeli attacks during Baghdad visit

The commander of Iran's Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, carried out a short visit to Baghdad on Tuesday, during which he met senior Iraqi officials, political leaders, and commanders of armed factions closely aligned with Tehran, according to sources who spoke to The New Arab's Arabic language edition. 

Qaani's visit, which lasted several hours, came amid growing concerns in Tehran that Israel may soon expand its regional military campaign to include targets in Iraq.

According to sources cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Qaani warned Iraqi officials of "imminent Israeli attacks" that could target individuals, facilities, camps, and offices affiliated with Iran-backed groups.

Qaani also urged the Iraqi leadership to address internal vulnerabilities and raised alarms over possible Israeli infiltration of key state institutions.

Qaani was accompanied by Nasser Akhdar, deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Radios and Televisions Union, a Tehran-backed media alliance.

The visit followed a late-night meeting held the day before between several Iraqi faction leaders to discuss recent drone strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan, which most factions denied any involvement in.

Sources close to the factions said Qaani had met several senior officials, including Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid.

During those talks, he conveyed Iran's fears that the conflict in Syria could spill over into Iraq in the coming two months, with Israel potentially targeting more than 300 sites across the country, including military camps, offices, and individual figures.

Qaani also shared Tehran's concerns about a broader security shift in Iraq that could destabilise the region as a whole.

According to the same sources, discussions also touched on recent attacks on energy infrastructure in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Most factions denied responsibility, while Qaani delivered several messages from Tehran urging Baghdad to bolster its security and intelligence preparedness amid suspicions of deepening Israeli infiltration of Iraqi institutions.

"The Israeli penetration is part of a new strategy by [Tel Aviv]," one source said, quoting Qaani. "It aims to sow chaos inside Iraq before launching attacks, while ensuring that the strikes on Israeli targets originate from Iraqi soil first, and then from elsewhere."

Iranian and Iraqi intelligence reportedly believe Israel was attempting to widen divisions between Baghdad and Erbil to distract from its deepening incursions into Iraq's political, military, and technical institutions.

Political analyst Abdullah al-Rikabi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Iraq was closer than ever to becoming a battleground with Israel.

He warned that Israel could apply the same tactics it allegedly used to carry out a recent intelligence operation and attack deep inside Iran.

"Iraq may not be able to withstand a breach like what happened in Iran," Rikabi said. "If instability breaks out, the consequences will be severe, especially if armed factions respond unilaterally without coordination with state security forces.

"In any case, Iraq is heading toward a difficult phase in the coming months."