Iraqi officials are currently probing potential military strikes aimed at warehouses containing Chinese-made air defense systems, reportedly transferred from Iran to militia groups. This action, reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, marks a significant development in regional tensions.
Sources indicate that the strikes, which took place last week, targeted two prominent storage sites of man-portable air defense systems. These locations were believed to have received a large shipment from Iran, subsequently distributed to factions loyal to Tehran.
One source detailed that the faction responsible for the site selection was convinced it would be hard to detect or target. The suspected strikes are said to have occurred shortly after the air defense systems were delivered to these sites.
Asharq Al-Awsat did not provide specifics about the systems and noted the challenges in independently verifying claims related to their presence in Iraq. China’s Foreign Ministry has flatly rejected allegations about supplying missiles and air defense systems to Iran.
Prior reports from Reuters indicate that Iran was poised to receive as many as 400 shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers to enhance its military capabilities.
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Sources say Iraq suspects that strikes on 2 Chinese air defence systems supplied to Iranian proxy militias by Iran on October 17 were conducted by Israel.
Also according to sources cited by a-Sharq al-Awsat, a series of explosions in areas around Baghdad on October 1 targeted… pic.twitter.com/vpbCdYrxsQ
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The report also mentioned an explosion on October 17 at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) facility in Baghdad. The PMF, which includes Iranian-backed groups, claimed to have managed a fire that ensued from damaged munitions.
An unnamed Iraqi official stated that investigations are ongoing regarding the explosion. Meanwhile, another source noted that this incident is part of a greater series of blasts that have been targeting militia warehouses throughout Baghdad.
A security official mentioned that authorities suspect Israeli involvement in the strikes, although the methodology of these attacks remains unknown. Despite ongoing inquiries, conclusive evidence identifying the perpetrators has not been established.
Two individuals familiar with an armed faction’s leadership suggested that Iranian-aligned groups were utilizing a declared truce with the U.S. to reposition themselves strategically. A senior political advisor indicated that the recent strike implies a perception within Iraqi intelligence that hostilities involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran might be resuming quietly within Iraq.
Over the weekend, a group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq reported 171 violations of Iraqi airspace by various aircraft since early October. Meanwhile, a Kataib Hezbollah leader reaffirmed a commitment to military restraint, except for responding to aerial incursions until adequate defenses are in place.
Moreover, a Coordination Framework official stated that leaders of Iranian-backed factions had been directed to enhance their defensive strategies against perceived threats from aerial assaults.
