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Iran and Iraq: The Lebanonization Project in the Balance

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Iran’s Foreign Policy After the Nuclear Agreement

Part of the book series: Middle East Today ((MIET))

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Abstract

For Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iraq represented a perfect terrain for spreading the Islamic revolution. The Iraqi Shiites, estimated at some 60 percent of the population, fit all the criteria of the mustazafeen, the “oppressed.” Considerably poorer than their Sunni compatriots, they had no official role in the Baathist regime and were subject to brutal oppression. Members of the Dawa Party, a significant underground movement, were persecuted and many killed, exiled or escaped to Iran. Indeed, the Supreme Leader hoped to replace the Baathist regime with the Islamic Republic of Iraq. He expected that there would be no shortage of Iraqi Shiites who were willing to play a role in this venture.

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Notes

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    With the pliant al-Maliki in power, Suleimani could be excused for feeling like the “viceroy” of a Lebanonized Iraq.

  23. 23.

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  24. 24.

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  27. 27.

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  28. 28.

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  29. 29.

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  30. 30.

    Emma Sky, quoted in Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (New York: Regan Arts), p. 64.

  31. 31.

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  32. 32.

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  35. 35.

    Iraq’s al-Maliki Seeks Arrest of Sunni VP as Terrorist, Parliament in Uproar, https://www.juancole.com/2011/12/iraqs-al-maliki-seeks-arrest-of-sunni-vp-as-terrorist-parliament-in-uproar.html.

  36. 36.

    Reuters, Thousands protest against Iraqi PM’s policies in Anbar province, Ammon, December 28, 2012, en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=19763#.WfXUqdeWbIV.

  37. 37.

    Martin Smith, The Rise of ISIS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/rise-of-isis/.

  38. 38.

    Mashreqnews, What is Behind Suleimani Removal from Being in Charge of Iraq Portfolio, Mashreq News, September 17, 2014, https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/345951/پشت-پرده-شایعه-کنار-رفتن-سردار-سلیمانی-از-پرونده-عراق; Afshon Ostovar, Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (London: Oxford University Press, 2016).

  39. 39.

    DW, Quds Force Footprint in Iraq has become more Prominent, Deutsche Welle, www.dw.com/fa-ir/ردپای‏-‏سپاه‏-‏قدس‏-‏در‏-‏عراق‏-‏پررنگتر‏-‏شده‏-‏است/a-17830425.

  40. 40.

    Ned Parker, Barak Dehgana Pish and Isabel Coles “How Iran’s Military Chiefs Operate in Iran,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, Abbas Qaidaari, Iran’s new group in Iraq: Saraya al-Khorasani, Al-Monitor, January 11, 2015, www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/01/iran-iraq-saraya-al-khorasani.html#ixzz4qQ3yVCaT.

  41. 41.

    TNA, General Suleimani Blocked ISIS to Enter Erbil, Tasnim News Agency, September 24, 2014, https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1393/07/02/508313/ اگر‏-‏ایران‏-‏نبود‏-‏داعش‏-‏کردستان‏-‏عراق‏-‏را‏-‏می‏-‏گرفت‏-‏سردار‏-‏سلیمانی‏-‏با‏-70-‏نفر‏-‏جلوی‏-‏ورود‏-‏داعش‏-‏به‏-‏اربیل‏-‏را‏-‏گرفت; General Suleimani Saved Iraqi Kurdistan, Aparat, September 24, 2014, www.aparat.com/v/oluL6/ سردار‏_‏قاسم‏_‏سلیمانی‏_‏کردستان‏_‏عراق‏_‏را‏_‏نجات‏_‏داد.

  42. 42.

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  43. 43.

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  44. 44.

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  45. 45.

    AN, Iran will build a 220-Seat Hospital and 17 Schools in Iraq, Aftab News, April 12, 2009, aftabnews.ir/fa/news/86739/ایران-یک-بیمارستان-220-تختخوابی-و-17-مدرسه-در-عراق-میسازد; Tabnak, Iran will build 3000 Schools, April 29, 2012, Tabnak, www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/241223/ ‏ایران-سه-هزار-مدرسه-در-عراق-می-سازد.

  46. 46.

    Nasir al-Hassoun Iran-Iraq trade reached $12 billion in 2013 July 1, 2014, www.al-monitor.com/pulse/business/2014/07/iraq-iran-trade-increase-crisis-border-syria-jordan-turkey.html.

  47. 47.

    Nasir al-Hassoun Iran-Iraq trade reached $12 billion in 2013 July 1, 2014, www.al-monitor.com/pulse/business/2014/07/iraq-iran-trade-increase-crisis-border-syria-jordan-turkey.html.

  48. 48.

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  49. 49.

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  50. 50.

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  51. 51.

    Tim Arango, “Iran Dominates in Iraq after U.S. Handed the Country Over,” New York Times, July 15, 2017.

  52. 52.

    Martin Chulov, Saudis in Talk Over the Alliance to Rebuild Iraq and Return it to the “Arab Fold.” Guardian, August 18, 2017.

  53. 53.

    Tim Arango, “U.S. Sees a Vital Iraqi Toll Road, but Iran Sees a Threat,” New York Times, May 27, 2017.

  54. 54.

    Donyaye Eghtesad, Translation of Muqtada Al-Sadr to Saudi Arabia, Donyaye Eghtesad Newspaper, August 1, 2017, No. 4107, p. 2.

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  1. Center for Iranian Studies in Ankara, Ankara, Ankara, Turkey

    Farhad Rezaei

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Rezaei, F. (2019). Iran and Iraq: The Lebanonization Project in the Balance. In: Iran’s Foreign Policy After the Nuclear Agreement. Middle East Today. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76789-5_5

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