Iran in the cross sights

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers in Iraq have to “go home” now that the war against Daesh is “coming to a close”.

Tillerson made this US stand known at the press conference he held jointly with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir during his visit to Saudi Arabia a few days ago.

“Iranian militias that are in Iraq, now that the fight against Daesh is coming to a close, those militias need to go home. The foreign fighters in Iraq need to go home and allow the Iraqi people to regain control.”

This must allay Riyadh’s fears, and those of its Sunni allies, that Iran will continue meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq, but will Iran comply with this US demand?

Even Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, who was also on a visit to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi King Salman about improving bilateral relations, openly rejected this US demand.

The militias complained about are the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), formed with funding and training from Tehran by Iraqis who took up arms in 2014 seeking to wrest the third of Iraqi territory Daesh had taken control of, and the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both viewed as the long arm of Iran in Iraq.

Still, Baghdad considers PMF, which played a pivotal role in the war against Daesh in Iraq, part of the Iraqi security forces.

Iraq’s military, armed by the US and with support from the PMF, this year drove Daesh terrorists out of Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq; several thousand US troops are still in the country, mostly for training but also to carry out raids against Daesh.

The bone of contention between Baghdad and Washington that is the fate of the Iran-supported militias is bound to spill over to other parts of the region and strain relations between Iraq and other Arab countries. A joint ministerial-level body between Iraq and Saudi Arabia held its first meeting on Sunday to coordinate their fight against Daesh and the rebuilding of Iraqi territory wrested from the group.

The Saudi interest in Iraq, with which it shares a border, oil resources and tribes, could explain the US’ new policy towards Iran, including a possible withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and new sanctions on its powerful revolutionary guard.

“Both our countries believe those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities, European companies or other companies around the world really do so at great risk,” said Tillerson.

That, and the US’ increased profile in Syria, where it played a critical role in the capture of the city of Raqqa from Daesh forces, will keep Iran and its proxies in these two Arab countries in the US’ sights for the foreseeable future.