Quds Force Chief in Baghdad After Attempt on Iraqi PM's Life

Ismail Qaani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ expeditionary Quds Force, arrived in Baghdad late on Sunday, November 7 in an unannounced visit. Tehran initially denied the visit, which was later confirmed by Reuters and an Iraqi MP who spoke to IranWire.

Qaani attended a meeting with the leaders of the Shiite armed factions and leaders of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a group of Iran-backed militia groups based inside the country, to discuss repercussions of the failed assassination of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi last week.

Qaani's visit came less than a day after al-Kadhimi announced that he had survived an attack on his home by a drone laden with explosives. Iraqi security sources have confirmed they shot down two other drones aimed for al-Kadhimi’s residence in the Green Zone. Officials told the media on Monday that both the drones and explosives were Iranian-made.

The attempt on Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s life was met with regional and international condemnation. Iraqi security forces announced a state of high alert in the aftermath, with troops and tanks deployed in the main streets and entrances to Baghdad, as well as in the vicinity of the Green Zone, which was closed to the public.

The MP that spoke to IranWire, who asked not to be named, said with the trip Qaani also sought to coordinate political alliances in the post-election period. Pro-Iran groups have disputed the outcome of the October vote and been camped outside the Green Zone in protest, clashing intermittently with police.

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