Expansion of NATO in Iraq means presence of U.S.: expert
Hassan Hanizadeh, an expert on the West Asia region, has said that the United States is seeking to beef up its influence in Iran.
“The United States seeks to expand its sphere of influence and geographical domination in Iraq and the region, and in the meantime, Washington has again focused on Iraq,” he said in an exclusive interview with ILNA.
Commenting on the expansion of NATO-led missions in Iraq, Hanizadeh said, “NATO has announced that it is looking to accept a greater role in Iraq for training and advisory activities. The NATO representative office in Baghdad has clearly announced that based on the request of the Iraqi authorities and the decision of the North Atlantic Council on August 17, 2023, NATO will undertake more missions in Iraq. In my opinion, this action is being done at U.S.’s urging.”
He added, “Note that the Americans want to remain in Iraq no matter what, even in the form of NATO, and it is said that the movements in the Ain al-Asad base and the Harir base by the American military have increased.”
The expert pointed out, “According to NATO officials, their forces in Iraq are going to increase from 500 to 4,000 soldiers, which somehow shows that the West does not want to leave Iraq.”