Target of the wrath of the Iraqi demonstrators, the influence of Tehran in Iraq would be considerable. The American daily New York Times and the online investigation site The Intercept said Monday, November 18, to have examined some 700 pages of reports written mostly in 2014 and 2015 by the Iranian Ministry of Information and sent by an anonymous source to The Intercept. The source said it wanted to "show the world what Iran is doing in (its) country, Iraq".

"These unprecedented leaks reveal Iran's vast influence in Iraq, detailing years of meticulous work by Iranian spies to co-opt the country's leaders, pay Iraqi agents (...) and infiltrate all aspects of the country. Iraq's political, economic and religious life, "according to the NYT.

The documents emphasize the "unique role of General (Qassem) Soleimani", in reference to the leader of the Al-Quds force of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of Iran, in charge of external operations.

"Iran intervenes in our country"

The general travels regularly to Iraq, where in recent weeks he chaired meetings in Baghdad and Najaf in the south to convince political parties to support Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, whose street is demanding the departure, political sources said. to AFP.

The contents of the documents also echo the sentiments expressed by many Iraqis participating in unprecedented protests in Iraq, a Shiite-majority country like Iran. "Iran intervenes in our country," insurgent Monday a protester of sixty years in Baghdad.

The protester is pleased that Iran has also been the scene of protests since Friday, after a rise in the price of gas at the pump. "The spark that started in Iraq has reached Iran".

>> Read also: The Iranian influence in Iraq, the target of the protesters' anger

Tehran, an ally of weight in Iraq

Tehran has become an important ally of Iraq, especially in recent years, after almost a decade of US domination. Iran has close ties with many Iraqi politicians and helped train the powerful Hach al-Shaabi paramilitaries, who helped defeat the organization of the Islamic State.

It is also a major trading partner, selling electricity and natural gas to Iraq. Tehran has used extensive intelligence operations to maintain these close ties, according to the NYT and Intercept. The "highest priority," according to the NYT, was to keep Iraq as a customer (...) and ensure that the loyal factions in Tehran remain in power. "

In one of the leaked documents, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi is also described as having "a special relationship" with Tehran when he was Minister of Petroleum in 2014.

Contacts with the Iranian secret services

The prime minister's office told AFP that it had "no comment" on the case. According to the NYT and The Intercept, former Iraqi prime ministers Haider al-Abadi and Ibrahim al-Jaafari as well as former head of parliament Salim al-Joubouri had contacts with the Iranian secret service.

According to the daily, Tehran has had greater access to Iraqi institutions after the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in 2011. The NYT and The Intercept finally report the meeting in late 2014 between an Iraqi intelligence officer and an Iranian counterpart in Iraq. the Iraqi city of Kerbala.

The Iraqi leader said his leader, General Hatem al-Makssoussi, had asked him to send the following message to Iran: "consider all Iraqi intelligence like yours".

With AFP