Al-Monitor reported in February 2014 of Iraq’s intention to strike a deal to buy weapons from Iran; in December 2014, Iraq signed a security agreement with Iran involving arms deals.
A source at the General Directorate of Arming and Equipping at the Iraqi Defense Ministry told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Iraq paid the price of the weapons received from Iran, as part of the trade deals, and that they are not necessarily benefiting Iraq. Some weapons are manufactured in Iran, but many are a copy of the Russian arms that Iraq ends up paying a higher price for than the originals.
The source added that defeating IS would subsequently result in pushing it away from the Iranian border, and that based on this the Iranian aid to Iraq also serves the Iranian national security.
Iraqi Shiites perceive that Iran is a strategic depth for them to protect themselves from the sectarian threat posed by Sunni Arab regimes. Yet, important Iraqi Shiite forces have condemned the Iranian use of Iraq as a tool in its struggle against its regional rivals such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, or its international rivals such as the United States.
In an attempt to ward off any equivoque, they believe that their disagreements with Iran does not contradict the principle of mutual respect, taking into account both countries’ common interests.
(Iran-Iraq image via Shutterstock)
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