AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat, in a report citing anonymous Iraqi security and political sources, claimed that the Baghdad government, with the increase in concerns about the possibility of a new war between Iran and America, has prepared measures to control the movements of armed groups, strengthen monitoring of border areas, and manage the possible consequences of this confrontation.
According to this newspaper's claim, Ali al-Zaidi, the prime minister and commander-in-chief of Iraq's armed forces, is trying to prevent Iraqi resistance groups from entering a possible war against Iran by increasing the authority of army commanders, consulting with American officials, and gaining the support of political currents that are members of the Coordination Framework.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat has described these measures as part of the Iraqi government's effort to prevent this country from becoming one of the fronts of regional conflict. However, an important part of the information published in this report is based on the statements of anonymous sources, and no official and independent confirmation has been provided for all the claims raised.
The claim of granting special authorities to the Iraqi army to confront armed groups
One of the most important axes of the Al-Sharq al-Awsat report is the claim of granting exceptional authorities by the Iraqi prime minister to military commanders for immediate dealing with armed movements.
This newspaper, citing an Iraqi security official, has claimed that al-Zaidi has allowed a number of army commanders to take action without the need to obtain direct permission from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces if they observe armed actions outside the legal framework.
According to this claim, the purpose of delegating new authorities is to increase the immediate intervention capability of military forces and prevent independent action by armed groups in critical conditions.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat has also claimed that the Iraqi government has issued an order to intensify security monitoring in sensitive border areas, and army forces have been tasked with monitoring any unusual movement around the clock.
In this context, the border areas of the Kurdistan Region in the north, Basra province in the south, and the border strip between Iraq and Syria have been introduced as among the points of attention of military commanders.
According to this newspaper's claim, Basra province, due to its strategic position and concern about the possible activity of armed groups in some sensitive areas, has gained special importance in the Iraqi government's security measures.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat's claim regarding al-Zaidi's effort to prevent the participation of the Iraqi resistance in a possible war
Another part of the Al-Sharq al-Awsat report is dedicated to the Iraqi government's political concerns about the possibility of resistance groups entering the military confrontation between Iran and America.
This newspaper has claimed that al-Zaidi, in a meeting with the leaders of the Coordination Framework, consisting of Iraq's main Shia currents, warned about the possibility of US military attacks against Iran and asked them to take action to prevent groups close to them from participating in a possible conflict.
According to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, the Baghdad government's concern is that the entry of Iraqi resistance groups into the war in support of Iran would expose this country to a direct American reaction and bring Baghdad-Washington relations into a critical phase.
This newspaper, citing an Iraqi official, has claimed that in the event of the extensive participation of these groups in the war, al-Zaidi's government might face a situation in which Washington considers Iraq a hostile country.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat has at the same time claimed that some political currents that are members of the Coordination Framework are concerned about the possible consequences of Iran's weakening in a military confrontation and its impact on their political position in Iraq; an issue that could complicate the government's efforts to reach a common position on regional developments.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat's claim about the connection of resistance groups' movements with IRGC orders
Al-Sharq al-Awsat, continuing its report, citing the statements of Iraqi political sources, has claimed that some armed groups have updated their list of possible targets based on orders attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
This newspaper also, referring to a report attributed to the Tasnim news agency about Ayatollah Sayed Mojtaba Khamenei's message to resistance groups, has tried to establish a connection between the recent developments of the resistance axis and the Iraqi government's security concerns.
However, the claim of the existence of specific operational orders from the IRGC to Iraqi groups has been mostly attributed to anonymous sources in the Al-Sharq al-Awsat report, and no independent documents have been published to prove its details.
The Iraqi prime minister's consultations with Washington to contain the consequences of the war
According to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, simultaneously with internal security measures, the Iraqi prime minister has also increased his political contacts with American officials.
This newspaper, referring to the meeting of Tom Barrack, the US president's special envoy to Iraq, with Ali al-Zaidi, has reported that the American side emphasized the importance of the Baghdad government's efforts to control possible crises.
According to the same report, al-Zaidi, in a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, also emphasized the Iraqi government's position on preventing the use of this country's soil for attacking neighboring countries.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat has also claimed that America's diplomatic consultations with officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region have also been pursued with a focus on developments related to Iran and the possibility of the expansion of military tensions in the region.
Baghdad's emergency plans to deal with the possible consequences of war
Al-Sharq al-Awsat, in another part of its report, has addressed the Iraqi government's civilian plans and claimed that the country's Ministerial Council for National Security has examined various scenarios for managing emergency conditions.
According to this report, the possible transfer of school education to a virtual method, the protection and digitalization of sensitive government documents, and the preparation of necessary facilities to receive possible refugees have been among the issues examined in Baghdad's security meetings.
However, the government sources cited by Al-Sharq al-Awsat have emphasized that no definitive decision has yet been made to implement some of these measures, including changing the mode of operation of schools and offices.
These sources have also claimed that the Iraqi government's emergency planning began last March and has been updated periodically in accordance with regional security developments.
Therefore, contrary to the possible impression from some reports, the mentioned plans do not necessarily mean the start of the implementation of all emergency measures in Iraq.
The publication of economic reports against Kata'ib Hezbollah on the eve of a possible war
The final part of the Al-Sharq al-Awsat report is dedicated to the publication of information and claims about the economic activities of some Iraqi resistance groups, especially Kata'ib Hezbollah.
This newspaper has written that simultaneously with the increase in concerns about the possibility of a regional military conflict, reports about the network of companies and economic interests attributed to some commanders of armed groups and their close associates have been published in the media and on social media.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat has at the same time stated that verifying this information is difficult.
According to this newspaper, the publication of such reports has raised questions about the possibility of the existence of a media campaign to weaken the social and political position of Iraqi resistance groups.
From this perspective, the simultaneity of the publication of economic claims against Kata'ib Hezbollah with political pressures to prevent the participation of resistance groups in a possible war against Iran is one of the dimensions of interest in the Al-Sharq al-Awsat report; although this simultaneity alone does not prove the existence of a coordinated media operation.
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