Did Russia use weapons smuggled from Iraq via Iran in the war on Ukraine?

Baghdad

- The British newspaper "The Guardian" published a few days ago a report stating that Russia had received equipment and ammunition from Iraq through Iranian smuggling networks, citing members of Iraqi armed factions supported by it, and citing regional intelligence services, that RPGs had been sent. (RPG), anti-tank missiles and two Brazilian rocket launchers to Russia from Iraq.

The Guardian's report had a great resonance inside and outside Iraq, despite the denials and doubts of the Iraqi official and non-official bodies about the credibility and seriousness of its contents.

However, Iraqis' support for Russia in confronting America and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is in line with the support expressed by activists and supporters of Iraqi armed factions and groups since the beginning of the confrontation, to the extent that large photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin were hung last month in the capital, Baghdad, as an expression for his support against the United States, before the authorities removed it.

credulity

The Guardian report was met with rejection and skepticism by the armed factions and figures close to them, ruling out the idea that a superpower like Russia needs other countries and other parties to support it in its war on Ukraine.

In this context, the independent politician Muhammad Al-Basri sarcastically refers to what was circulated in the report, noting that "it is naive to believe what is stated in it. Is it true that the second greatest country in the world, with all its military arsenal and advanced weapons, needs support with weapons from Iraq?"

Al-Basri questioned how weapons were smuggled from Iraq and reached Russia in light of the American presence in the region, indicating that what was stated in the Guardian report was nothing more than a mixture of papers and showing Russia as weak and implicated and in need of support from any party, adding that it was the first to talk about Ukraine, which Even international mercenaries were invited to confront what it called the "Russian invasion".

A sign in central Baghdad expressing support for the Russian president before the authorities removed it hours after it was placed (communication sites)

endorsement letters

On the other hand, security experts confirm that the report is nothing more than leaks to confirm Western theories of Iran and the Iraqi factions' proximity to Russia's front, and their support for it in confronting America and the West.

Security expert Ahmed Shawqi explained that the content of the report is messages of support from the armed factions to Russia in the face of the United States, the common enemy of both sides, pointing out that Russia has a huge capacity and does not need weapons from anyone, but it is "a complete economic and armamental interaction message between the anti-Western fronts."

Shawqi explained that Iraq had originally signed armament agreements with Russia worth $8 billion to import tanks and armored vehicles, and indeed 74 tanks and a number of armored vehicles were delivered to Iraq, but recent sanctions against Russia have hampered the completion of the agreements.

Al-Baydar described the Guardian report as illogical (Al-Jazeera Net)

Enemy of my enemy is my friend

Political analyst Ali Al-Baydar describes the report as illogical, according to the logic of the capabilities and capabilities that Russia possesses as an important global source of armament, and not the other way around. global alignment with it or against it.

At the same time, Al-Baydar raises the possibility that the move was issued by the armed factions themselves as a donation to convey the message of support and support for Russia in the current war, according to the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Ports are denied

And in view of the Guardian report, the Iraqi Border Ports Authority denied the passage of weapons from Iraq to abroad, stressing that monitoring at the ports is continuous around the clock.

The spokesman for the authority, Alaeddin al-Qaisi, said that the security forces are present at the border crossings, and the ports are fully tight, and control is fully imposed on them to prevent any entry and smuggling of prohibited materials, whatever they may be.

While the Ports Authority responded to the report, the Joint Operations Command declined to comment on the matter.

Iranian exile

The Iraqi government has not yet responded officially to what was stated in the Guardian report, at the same time the Iranian embassy in London denied the authenticity of the report.

The embassy said in a statement that the report on Russia's use of "weapons smuggled from Iraq by Iran" is baseless and unprofessional.

She described the report as an attempt to link recent developments in Ukraine with developments in the Middle East by linking it to Iran.

The embassy said that the report constitutes an unprofessional and unacceptable step, considering it an offense to the readers of the newspaper itself.