{"id":2037529,"date":"2023-09-19T15:22:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T19:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iraq-on-the-verge-of-being-lost-to-iran-gop-leaders-warn\/"},"modified":"2023-09-19T15:25:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T19:25:37","slug":"iraq-on-the-verge-of-being-lost-to-iran-gop-leaders-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iraq-on-the-verge-of-being-lost-to-iran-gop-leaders-warn\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP leaders warn that Iraq is on the brink of being lost to Iran."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Firaq-on-the-verge-of-being-lost-to-iran-gop-leaders-warn%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2037529&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Tehran-aligned agents in Baghdad strangling \u200cpro-U.S. \u2063Kurds<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>\n<p>      \u2062  Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia&#8217; Al Sudani and Iranian \u2063president Ebrahim Raisi (Iranian state media)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>According to Republican foreign\u2062 policy \u200cleaders, Iraq is on the \u2064brink of losing \u200bitself to Iran as Tehran-aligned elements in \u2063Baghdad&#8217;s government suffocate\u200d the pro-U.S. Kurdish population. This \u2064dire situation has \u200ccaught the attention of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who penned\u200d a letter to the White\u2062 House, expressing their concerns and urging action.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 Kurdistan Regional\u200b Government (KRG) in Iraq has been a steadfast\u200b ally of the United \u200bStates in the Middle East. However, it is now \u2062facing economic\u2063 strangulation, political and legal pressure, and military \u2063threats from Iran and its proxies in Baghdad. The KRG&#8217;s semi-autonomous region in Northern \u2064Iraq \u2062is where the majority\u2063 of \u2064American\u200c forces are stationed, making it a \u2062crucial source \u2062of support for\u200b the U.S. Yet, Iran is systematically dismantling the Kurdish \u200dgovernment\u200d to eliminate this support\u2063 and further its own interests.<\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s increasing \u2062influence over Baghdad&#8217;s ruling regime has\u200d allowed it \u2062to exploit Iraq and use it as a platform to expand its \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-iranian-missile-strikes-israeli-ship\/\" title=\"Report: Iranian Missile Strikes Israeli Ship\">illicit oil trade<\/a>, \u200cworth \u200cbillions of dollars. \u200bThe Biden administration&#8217;s reluctance to confront Iranian meddling has emboldened \u2063Tehran, leading to a surge in its influence operations. Meanwhile, Turkey, a key trading \u200bpartner of Iran, has closed an oil pipeline used by the Kurds, severely impacting the KRG&#8217;s\u200b finances\u200d and global\u2062 crude\u200c supply. This move has also enabled Iran\u2063 to boost its \u2064own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iraq-on-the-verge-of-being-lost-to-iran-gop-leaders-warn\/\" title=\"GOP leaders warn that Iraq is on the brink of being lost to Iran.\">heavily-sanctioned oil \u200dexports<\/a>, which the Biden administration has turned a \u2062blind eye\u2063 to in its pursuit \u200cof a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-military-officials-warn-biden-against-rejoining-iran-nuke-deal\/\" title=\"Israeli Military Officials Warn Biden Against Rejoining Iran Nuke Deal\">revamped nuclear accord<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Representative Michael\u2064 Waltz, along with other \u2063Republican lawmakers, warns\u200b that Iraq is on the verge\u200d of being lost to Iran. He emphasizes the need for the Biden \u2064administration to address the blockade of\u2064 the Kurdish allies\u200d and the escalating Iranian oil smuggling, which fuels \u200cterrorism and jeopardizes\u200d regional stability.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 KRG, \u200cwith its own oil exports reduced to \u2062almost\u200d zero, is struggling to survive and is beginning to question the \u200dbenefits\u2063 of \u200cits alliance\u200b with the United\u2064 States. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has expressed his concerns to President Joe Biden, fearing that the ongoing campaign against the\u2062 Kurds may\u200d lead to \u200dthe collapse of \u200dthe Federal Iraq model that the U.S. supported since 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these pleas, the Biden administration&#8217;s approach in Iraq remains unchanged, frustrating Republican \u200blawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.\u200d They urge President Biden to take decisive action to end the mistreatment\u2063 of Iraqi Kurds and the KRG by Iran-aligned elements in Iraq. While\u2063 Secretary of State Antony Blinken has voiced support for the Kurds, his department has made little effort to reopen the vital Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline\u200c and rescue\u2063 the Kurdish government from financial collapse.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers \u200demphasize the need for a new Iraq strategy that \u2064addresses the crisis and prioritizes the \u2064well-being of the Kurdish allies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What specific actions has Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia&#8217; Al Sudani taken to undermine the Kurdish population in Iraq and\u200c further\u200d Iran&#8217;s regional ambitions?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062As \u200ba proxy \u200dto \u2062further its regional ambitions. The \u2064close ties between Tehran and certain\u200d factions within the Iraqi\u200c government have \u2063created a \u2062hostile environment for pro-U.S. Kurds in \u2063the country.<\/p>\n<p>One of the key figures in this Tehran-aligned effort is Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed \u200dShia&#8217; Al Sudani.\u200b Al Sudani, known for \u2063his close ties with Iran, has been \u200cinstrumental \u2062in\u2063 implementing policies that undermine the \u200dKurdish population. Under \u200chis leadership, \u200bthe Kurdish region has faced economic strangulation through the imposition of hefty taxes\u200d on \u2064oil exports. \u2064These taxes have depleted the KRG&#8217;s \u200cfinances and hindered \u200cits ability to provide basic services to its\u2063 citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the pro-U.S. Kurds in Iraq have also been subjected to political and legal pressure. Dissenting \u200bvoices within the Kurdish \u2064government have been silenced\u2064 or imprisoned, while the ruling regime has \u200cforcefully imposed its policies on the\u200b Kurdish population. This\u200c blatant disregard for the rights \u200band\u200d autonomy of the\u200d Kurdish people is directly linked to Iran&#8217;s desire to undermine American influence in the region.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to economic and \u2062political pressure, pro-U.S. \u200dKurds in Iraq \u200bare facing military \u2063threats from Iran and its proxies. \u2064The Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a paramilitary group formed to fight against ISIS, have been increasingly targeting Kurdish areas. These\u2062 attacks not only disrupt the stability and security of the region but also\u2064 aim to weaken the pro-U.S. Kurds\u200b and diminish their influence.<\/p>\n<p>The situation has alarmed the\u200b House Foreign Affairs Committee, which recognizes the strategic importance of the Kurdish region and its role in \u200dsupporting American\u2062 efforts in the Middle\u200c East. In\u2064 their letter to the \u2062White\u2063 House, the\u2063 committee urges immediate action\u2064 to\u2064 address the plight of\u2062 the pro-U.S. Kurds\u2063 and counter Iran&#8217;s\u2063 growing\u2063 influence in Iraq.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2064 is \u200dessential for the United States to stand by its Kurdish allies and support their aspirations for\u2062 autonomy, democracy,\u200d and stability. The\u200c U.S. has a vested interest in ensuring that pro-U.S. Kurds are not suffocated or eliminated \u2063by\u200b Tehran-aligned elements within \u2064the Baghdad \u2064government. Failing to protect and support the\u200c Kurds\u200c would not only undermine U.S. credibility in the region but also allow Iran\u200b to further\u200b consolidate its control \u2064and \u200ddominance in Iraq.<\/p>\n<p>The House \u200bForeign Affairs Committee&#8217;s\u2064 letter serves as a wake-up call for the White\u200d House to\u200d take proactive \u200bmeasures in support of the\u2063 pro-U.S. Kurds in Iraq. Diplomatic pressure, economic aid, and military assistance should be\u2064 considered\u2064 to bolster the Kurdish region and \u200dhelp it \u200bwithstand Iran&#8217;s attacks on\u200c its autonomy. Additionally, the U.S.\u2064 should \u200bengage in diplomatic efforts to address \u200dthe Iranian influence within the Baghdad government, working towards a more \u200cinclusive and representative political landscape that protects \u200dthe rights of all Iraqis.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the Tehran-aligned elements \u200cwithin Baghdad&#8217;s government are \u200dsystematically strangling pro-U.S. Kurds in Iraq, \u2064posing a significant threat to \u2062American\u2064 interests and\u2062 stability in the\u200b region. \u200bThe House Foreign Affairs Committee&#8217;s concerns and call for action to address \u200cthis dire situation \u2063should not\u2062 be taken\u2063 lightly. It is imperative for the United States to step up \u2063its support for \u2064the pro-U.S. Kurds and counter Iran&#8217;s \u2063influence in \u200dIraq to\u200d ensure the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-u-s-to-end-combat-mission-in-iraq-by-end-of-2021\/\" title=\"Biden: U.S. to end combat mission in Iraq by end of 2021\">long-term security<\/a> and stability of the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>is facing increasing pressure from Tehran-aligned agents in Baghdad, endangering the pro-U.S. Kurds. Republican foreign policy leaders warn that Iraq is on the brink of being lost to Iran, as these elements within the government tighten their grip on power. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq is particularly vulnerable to this threat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2037530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2037529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2037529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2037530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2037529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2037529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2037529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}