Despite Being in Power, Why Are Iranian Agents Accusing the U.S. Ambassador of Leading Iraq?

Despite being at the helm of the Shia Coordination Framework in Iraq, their followers and pro-Iranian militia fighters took to the streets for a demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, voicing their discontent and accusing the United States of meddling in Iraq’s political affairs.

This first-of-its-kind protest, occurring during Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s tenure, who emerged from the Coordination Framework, has sparked numerous questions about the motivations behind this action.

Is this an indication of the government’s dissatisfaction with U.S. influence? Or does it signify internal divisions concerning how to engage with Washington? Alternatively, could it be a means to divert attention from the government’s shortcomings in addressing Iraq’s crises?

The demonstration took place on July 14, 2023, amid an escalating power crisis in Iraq due to Iran cutting off gas supplies, claiming technical issues, which were later restored after three days. This move was a result of Iran not receiving its financial dues due to U.S. sanctions, while both countries signed a gas-for-oil exchange agreement.

 

U.S. Sanctions

Amidst these questions, Iraqi politician and former deputy, Wael Abdul Latif, commented that that day events indicate something on the horizon, as mentioned in the media regarding the U.S. requests to the Coordination Framework, specifically concerning armed factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces and foreign currency smuggling.

He added that if Iraq’s Coordination Framework refuses to deal with the U.S., then it should have refrained from receiving the U.S. Ambassador Alina Romanowski, whose meetings with the Coordination Framework leaders were made public.

Abdul Latif suggested that the U.S. Ambassador might have something to say about Iraq’s overall policy, indicating that this could be an advanced stage of U.S. pressure on the Coordination Framework specifically.

As tensions rise between the U.S. and the Coordination Framework, the Bahraini newspaper Akhbar Al-Khaleej reported that the U.S. continues to refuse to accept Prime Minister al-Sudani’s visit to discuss important issues related to Iraq’s internal situation.

The newspaper mentioned that Washington was an active party in installing al-Sudani based on an understanding between the United States and Iran, and the latter agreed to support his premiership in exchange for fulfilling three critical demands for Washington.

These demands include tangible progress in combating corruption by exposing major corrupt figures and providing their names to the U.S. for prosecution and asset seizure. Initiating the dismantling of the Popular Mobilization Forces by integrating them into security and military institutions and stripping their leaders of administrative and military powers.

The third demand entails monitoring Iraqi financial movements and preventing the smuggling of foreign currency to Iran, Syria, and entities supporting the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the newspaper.

As of July 20, 2023, no official statements were made by the Iraqi authorities or the U.S. regarding the demands mentioned in the Gulf newspaper concerning the al-Sudani government.

 

Covering the Failure

Abdul Latif did not rule out that this demonstration could be a way to cover up the current government’s lack of tangible achievements on the ground after eight months of failing to improve electricity, water, unemployment, and other pressing issues. The Iraqi people are well aware of this situation.

Regarding the government’s stance on the protest, Abdul Latif pointed out that the Vienna Convention of 1991 pushes the government to protect embassies, diplomatic missions, and consulates wherever they exist on the country’s soil.

He added that the authorities must play a clear and influential role in this regard, so that Iraqi citizens are convinced that there is a state and power capable of taking measures to protect the U.S. Embassy or any other embassy.

However, this was not seen in the government’s response to the recent demonstration.

On the other hand, Hamed al-Mutlaq, an Iraqi politician and former deputy, mentioned that those who participated in the protest and criticized each other are the ones occupying sensitive positions within the Iraqi state. They are the ones who led the Iraqi people to this deteriorating situation in all aspects.

He stated that many of the current influential political forces collaborated with the United States during the occupation of Iraq, but their utter failure in managing the country and power-sharing disputes and disagreements over positions led them to protest against each other or against specific entities to create specific excuses.

Al-Mutlaq emphasized that if they were serious and sincere in serving Iraq, they should learn from the bitter experience of the past 20 years and unite their efforts to rebuild the country instead of working for personal and factional interests.

He pointed out that the entire suffering that befell Iraq was a result of the U.S. occupation, which handed the country over to internal and external actors to manipulate as they pleased. Additionally, some influential parties handed control to foreign entities at the expense of the nation and its citizens, deepening internal conflicts. This demonstration is one of the consequences of these internal struggles.

 

The Militia Crisis

Iraqi writer Sadeq al-Taee stated that Akram al-Kaabi, the Secretary-General of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, which is close to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was at the forefront of the recent crisis in Baghdad. The crisis involved the supporters of the Coordination Framework exiting in a demonstration, attempting to reach the U.S. Embassy.

In an article published by the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on July 16, 2023, al-Taee mentioned that the protesters raised Iranian flags and chanted slogans like “Death to America, Death to Israel.” There were also leaks indicating that the U.S. intelligence had intentions to target Akram al-Kaabi due to accusations of him orchestrating strikes against American forces in Syria.

He pointed out that the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, had a noticeable presence in Iraqi political dialogues and interactions. This led opponents of the Coordination Framework to suggest that she is the de facto ruler in Baghdad, not Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. Al-Sudani is attempting to portray himself as a strong leader who will enforce the law, fight corruption, and initiate genuine development.

According to the writer, Iraq has witnessed remarkable security stability in recent months, and observers attributed this calmness to the integration of militias into the state structure and their benefit from the country’s economic resources by controlling projects and resources.

He further explained that this occurred after a noticeable shift in the efforts of the Popular Mobilization Forces from military activities to construction and engineering projects through companies seeking to emulate the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ engineering entity, which controls the Iranian economy.

Al-Taee questioned, “So, what ignited a new crisis between the Iran-affiliated militias and the U.S. presence in Iraq after the honeymoon period that lasted since the formation of al-Sudani’s government until now? Simply and clearly, it is the electricity crisis in Iraq.”

 

The Unsolvable Electricity Crisis

The issue of electricity in Iraq has become one of the most challenging problems with no real solutions in sight. The decreasing power supply and prolonged power outages during the scorching summer have become undeniable facts.

According to the Iraqi writer Sadeq al-Taee, successive governments have played with the tensions of the streets every year, finding different scapegoats to blame for their mistakes.

The recent demonstration was called for by pro-Iranian Shiite militias, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.

They were protesting against U.S. interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and warned in their statements that their response would be more severe if such interventions continued.

On July 14, 2023, the Ashab al-Kahf group, which is believed by observers and experts to have ties to the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, announced a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, holding the United States responsible for the electricity crisis due to the sanctions imposed on Iran.

Scores of militia members gathered in front of the Green Zone in Baghdad, holding pictures of former Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Deputy Head of the Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, both killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad at the beginning of 2020.

They also displayed flags of various factions, including Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Ashab al-Kahf, Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah, and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, along with Iranian flags.

Several lawmakers affiliated with armed factions were also seen among the protesters, such as the representative of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq militia, Hassan Salem, and the representative of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Saud al-Saadi.