Iran runs a shadow government in Iraq, which is "no secret" to the public, officials in Baghdad told The National, as leaked intelligence reports detailing how Tehran holds sway over its neighbour were published on Monday.
The New York Times and The Intercept say they have reviewed over 700 pages of reports written mainly in 2014 and 2015 by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security that show "how aggressively Tehran has worked to embed itself into Iraqi affairs." It includes paying Iraqi agents working for the United States to switch sides.
"Of course, it is no secret that Iran controls different sectors of the government and parliament," a senior Iraqi official, who chose to remain anonymous, told The National.
“Everyone knows that there is a shadow government run by Qassem Soleimani that has infiltrated the political, economic and security sectors of the Iraqi state,” he said.
General Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, is Tehran's point man on Iraq and travels there frequently during times of political turmoil.
Demonstrators took the streets of Baghdad and southern cities last month in anger over corruption and the government's close ties to Iran.
The documents showed that Mr Soleimani was seen in Iraq after the protests kicked off.
He chaired various meetings to persuade allies in the Iraqi parliament to help Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to hold on to his role.
What the leaked documents show is a confirmation of the details and names that the public already knew about, the official said.
In the 16 years since the fall of Saddam, Iran has emerged as a key power broker in Iraqi politics, with arguably greater influence than the US in the Shiite majority country.
The documents "offer a detailed portrait of just how aggressively Tehran has worked to embed itself into Iraqi affairs, and of the unique role of General Soleimani," the two outlets said.
The information in the documents can be "classified as new black points to Iraq's dark history", Hashim Al Hashimi, an Iraqi security expert, told The National.
"Details of the report are not new to those interested in Iraq's political affairs, they will also not renew concerns about the people mentioned in them," he said.
The Iraqi foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
"The documents prove how weak the Iraqi institution is and sadly the Iraqi officials are really not patriotic and they are ready to do everything for other countries including Iran," Sarkwat Al Shamsi, an Iraqi member of parliament told The National.
"We have a deep crisis within the Iraqi state and system, it is at stake, there are individuals who keep switching sides from America to Iran, and maybe tomorrow another country, this is so dangerous," he said.
Iraqi officials have done "everything to destroy the country and to enrich themselves," he said.
In one of the documents Mr Abdul Mahdi is described as having had a "special relationship" with Tehran when he was Iraq's oil minister in 2014.
It also named former prime ministers Haider Al Abadi and Ibrahim Al Jafari as well as former speaker of parliament Salim Al Jabouri as politicians with close ties to Iran.
One of Mr Al Jabouri’s top advisers- identified as Source 134832- was an Iranian intelligence asset.
“[I] am present in his office on a daily basis and carefully follow his contacts with the Americans,” the source told his Iranian handler, according to the documents.
Following the withdrawal of US troops in 2011, Iran was able to gain much more access inside Baghdad, which it said left Iraqi assets of the Central Intelligence Agency "jobless and destitute".
They then turned to Iran, offering information on the CIA's operations in Iraq in exchange for money, the report said.
According to the documents an Iraqi military intelligence officer had travelled from Baghdad to meet with an Iranian intelligence official in Iraq's holy city of Karbala.
The Iraqi official delivered a message from Lieutenant General Hatem Al Maksusi saying that "all of the Iraqi Army's intelligence- consider it yours".
Mr Al Maksusi had also offered to give Iran information about a covert system established by the US to eavesdrop on Iraqi phones, run by Mr Al Abadi office and military intelligence, the reports said.
The specs
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- Price: Not announced yet
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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The five pillars of Islam
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
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Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5