Iraqi sources told the UK-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet over the weekend that Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani received a cold shoulder from Iraqi militias on his visit to Baghdad last week to discuss the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.

“Qaani met with several leaders of armed groups to discuss developments regarding the new situation in Syria and the determination of the Israeli entity to attack sites and occupy parts of Syria,” the source said.

“Some of the faction leaders informed Qaani of their commitment to Iraq’s neutral position in the current crisis, saying that don’t want to become involved in opening new fronts and are waiting to see how things will unfold.”

This development is a significant setback for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The fall of the Assad regime led the Iranian-backed Iraqi militias to abruptly cut off support and military assistance to the Islamic Republic. All the Iraqi militias hastily left Syria and returned to Iraq for the first time since they joined the regime against the Syrian opposition in 2011. Additionally, Iran lost its arms shipping route via Iraq to Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Most commentators in the Arab world on Iraqi and regional political issues emphasize that Iran has lost an important front of its Axis of Resistance, shortly after Hezbollah in Lebanon, its most powerful and significant front, has been significantly weakened.

Tehran was seeking to prevent further losses and was hoping to maintain a strong connection with Baghdad, especially since it has become the only line of defense between Iran and the “Israeli occupation.”

A political analyst quoted by the report said: “Iran’s concern about what has happened is legitimate as it has lost one of the most important pillars of its Axis of Resistance and therefore it wants to understand the future situation, especially since the axis is facing clear obstacles.”

“What is important for Iraq is securing its borders, which are already secured, with a solid security wall and sufficient capabilities for monitoring and espionage. The role of the Iraqi factions in Syria has ended, and they no longer have any influence or aspirations for Syrian territory in the future.”

Al Arabiya reported that before the fall of the Assad regime, hundreds of Syrian soldiers fled towards the Iraqi border, abandoning their posts. Iraqi authorities set up tents for them in the town of Ar-Rutbah in western Iraq.

A senior Iraqi security source confirmed to the channel that over a 1,000 Syrian soldiers had arrived in Iraq. He said that the Syrian soldiers “requested entry into Iraqi territory” through the land crossing. He also noted that “the soldiers were welcomed, given the necessary assistance, and their needs were met.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)