The new Prime Minister failed: Iraq prepares for war

Iraqi security forces raised the alert level today, Thursday, in all camps and bases, alongside the deployment of counter-terrorism military reinforcements toward the capital, Baghdad. Saudi media reported that Iraqi soldiers are ready to act and respond to potential security developments, which are expected to originate from Iranian proxy groups in the country.

The new directives were issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, as reported by the official Iraqi news agency. In this context, Iraqi security sources stated that pro-Iranian terrorist organizations in the country have redeployed on the ground and are expected to continue striking targets at Iran's request, as they did recently in Saudi Arabia.

The situation has escalated recently after Saudi Arabia and the USA responded to Iranian proxies and attacked various targets throughout al-Zaidi's country. Now, precisely after he tried to distance his country from any possible confrontation, Iraq is on the verge of an internal war between the local army and terrorist organizations—in what appears to be a continuation of the conflict between the USA and Iran, which has moved onto Iraqi territory.

Since taking office at the end of last April, al-Zaidi, a businessman and inexperienced politician, aspired to lead Iraq out of the era of wars, to distance it from regional conflicts, and to maintain good relations with all countries in the region (except Israel). To that end, al-Zaidi met with regional leaders, with US President Donald Trump in Washington, and even visited Tehran.

Iraq in recent years has become an Iranian client state, as Shiite pro-Iranian terrorist organizations flooded the territory, entered politics, and became part of the government. Consequently, Iraq became a strategic asset for Tehran, where senior regime officials and the Revolutionary Guards could move freely and send weapons through the country into Assad's Syria, and from there to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Donald Trump wanted to change the situation and used the elections in Iraq to pave the way for al-Zaidi to the position of Prime Minister. The President requested that once he assumed the position, he would have to cut ties with pro-Iranian elements. Al-Zaidi tried, but the task of forming a government in Iraq without elements supported by Iran was almost impossible from the start.

The failure to form a government without pro-Iranian elements also led to difficulties in disarming pro-Iranian terrorist organizations. Those same organizations that control the country militarily, and even attacked Israel at the regime's request, are more loyal to the Islamic Republic than to the local government.

As mentioned, the Iraqi army is now preparing for a confrontation on the ground against pro-Iranian organizations, while reports suggest that Iran and the USA are approaching a certain framework in the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, the question arises: will Donald Trump risk the progress in negotiations and intervene militarily to save his new project in Baghdad?