REPORT - Iranian Strategy in Iraq: Politics and “Other Means"

The Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point has released its newest report - Iranian Strategy in Iraq: Politics and “Other Means".

From their press release on the report:

This report addresses Iran’s dual-strategy of providing military aid to Iraqi militia groups and giving political support to Iraqi political parties. Although the report details the scope and nature of Iranian support to Iraqi militias, it concludes that Iran’s political efforts are the core of its effort to project influence within Iraq. The report also concludes that Iran has recently worked to reduce the level of violence in Iraq while concentrating on a political campaign to shape the SFA and SOFA agreements to its strategic ends. The report does not address Iran’s economic and social influence in Iraq.

· Chapter 1 of the report describes Iran’s covert operations in Iraq before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, including the formation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

· Chapter 2 assesses the trajectory of Iranian intervention in Iraq since 2003.

· Chapters 3 and 4 describe Iranian lethal aid in Iraq and draw heavily on the interrogation summaries of detained militia members.

· Chapter 5 provides key findings and recommendations.