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Baghdad – The first anniversary of the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, and the field commander of the Iraqi People’s Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in a US airstrike near Baghdad International Airport , has gone from being a demonstration of the strength of the Iranian presence in Iraq, to a mere loud event aimed mainly at the two dead followers in order to exact revenge against the dead. Vent your congestion.
In contrast to the acute threat and intimidation issued by Iran and its militias in Iraq and several Arab countries during the period leading up to the anniversary of January 3, the date of the assassination of Soleimani and the engineer early last year, the meetings and rallies witnessed in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, Tehran’s desire for calm, not to incite the administration of US President Donald Trump during his last days in the White House, as became evident in the extent of the discipline of Shiite militias in Iraq at Iranian orders and their full commitment to the calm required in Iran.
The Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq, one of the fiercest Shiite factions and the most dependent on Iran, expressed that discipline when it announced its decision not to raid the US embassy within the Green Zone, which on more than one previous occasion was target of Iran’s supporters in Iraq during their protests against the US air force’s attacks on Popular Mobilization militias, especially on the assassination of Soleimani and the engineer.
Brigade General Secretary Abu Hussain al-Hamidawi said in a statement regarding his faction’s participation in activities commemorating the assassination of Soleimani and the engineer: “Our presence in the field is a message of authorization for speed up revenge, as our blood is still boiling. ” But it was quickly resolved by saying: “Today we will not enter the embassy of evil (the American embassy)., And we will not overthrow this government (the government of Mustafa Al-Kazemi), as there is still time available.”
Al-Hamidawi added: “Our weapons are more controlled and organized than the most prestigious armies and military institutions in history … We will not allow anyone, whoever, to manipulate this weapon.”
Referring to the apparent enthusiasm of Iran and its supporters in Iraq to calm and limit the commemoration of the first anniversary of the assassination of the commander of the Iranian Quds Force and the deputy chief of the Iraqi People’s Mobilization Authority, within the limits of gathering, chanting and elevating slogans and photographs glorifying the dead and disparaging the United States and its administration, an Iraqi activist compared the activities that were organized in Baghdad to one that the Shiites periodically organize as an expression of sadness over the murder of Hussein bin Ali and of eternal remorse for your lack of support.
The same activist, who asked not to be named, said that the culture of mourning for the “downtrodden” and remorse for their lack of support and endlessly mourning for them is appropriate for Iran and its supporters in Iraq to face the assassination of Soleimani and the engineer as long as the balance of power does not allow the “earthquake response” promised by Tehran. The United States and US President Donald Trump personally.
Tens of thousands of supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups chanted anti-American slogans in central Baghdad on Sunday to commemorate the assassination of the Iranian military commander and the Iraqi leader in the PMF.
Difficult conditions for Iran and its allies in Iraq made it necessary to avoid provoking the Trump administration in its final days in the White House.
The demonstration coincided with the escalation of tension between Iran and the United States in the last days of the administration of US President Donald Trump, with many attendees demanding revenge.
The United States killed Soleimani, accusing him of being the mastermind behind attacks launched by militants allied with Iran against US forces in the region, and his assassination brought hostility between Washington and Tehran to an unprecedented level and raised concerns about the spread. of the conflict.
The protesters who gathered in Tahrir Square waved Iraqi flags and the banners of the Popular Mobilization Forces and chanted anti-US slogans such as “America is the Great Satan.”
Protesters flocked to Tahrir Square in the center of the Iraqi capital in response to calls from various armed groups that make up the Popular Mobilization Forces, mainly backed by Iran. The plaza was filled with large photographs of the two men and photographs of others killed in the attack, and other photographs were hung on the buildings facing the plaza.
The leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Faleh al-Fayyad, and the politician Hadi al-Ameri, leader of the Badr Organization, who participated in the meeting and addressed the crowd, demanded the expulsion of the US forces.
“We are here today to condemn what the American-Israeli enemy did in targeting the leaders for victory,” Abu Ahmed, a participant in the demonstrations in Baghdad, told Reuters. “We call on the government to take a serious stance to hold those who killed them accountable,” he added.
Reflecting Iran’s fears of escalation and its quest to calm down, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Trump on Saturday to avoid an “Israeli trap” to start a war by launching attacks on US forces. in Iraq.
An Israeli official rejected the accusation, describing it as nonsense and saying that it was Israel that needed to be on alert in anticipation of possible Iranian attacks on the anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination.
There have been no attacks on US or diplomatic forces in Iraq for the past two days, but US officials say they are concerned about late-stage plans to launch attacks.
Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said he had reversed his decision to withdraw the Nimitz aircraft carrier from the region. “Due to recent threats from Iranian leaders to US President Trump and other US officials, I have ordered a halt to the routine redeployment of the aircraft carrier Nimitz,” he added.
A US official, who asked not to be named, said the carrier is expected to remain outside the Arabian Sea, explaining that the decision is a precaution.
Washington accuses Tehran-backed militants of occasional missile attacks on US facilities in Iraq, including attacks near the US embassy. No known Iranian-backed group has claimed responsibility for these attacks.
The US military sent two B-52 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons to the Middle East last week in a deterrent message to Tehran, but the bombers subsequently fled the region.
