Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi official has rejected reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) formed covert cells in Iraq to carry out drone strikes on neighboring Arab states hosting US soldiers, according to the news outlet, The New Arab.
According to a report published by Reuters, the IRGC established three or four clandestine cells in Iraq, each with about ten militants.
Between 20 April and 17 May, the units launched at least seven drone assaults from desert areas near Basra and Samawah, targeting sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, according to the report.
The report indicated that certain members of the cells were connected to the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a group of Iran-aligned forces, but acted independently of its command framework and reported directly to the IRGC.
Head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, Saad Maan, told The New Arab that Iraqi territory shall not be used for hostile operations.
The government has issued firm and precise directions to avoid any hostile operations or acts on Iraqi soil by any party, according to Maan.
The Iraqi official emphasized that, despite the increasingly challenging and complex conditions in the region over the past few years, the priority remains Iraq’s sovereignty.