The Iraqi government declared Ismail Qaani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, as persona non grata and ordered his expulsion from the country, according to a report by Axar.az citing Iranian media. The decision, which also bars senior Iranian officials from meeting with Iraqi militias, comes ahead of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's planned visit to Washington.
The Iraqi government has declared Ismail Qaani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, persona non grata and ordered his expulsion from the country, according to a report by Axar.az citing Iranian media. The decision, which also bars senior Iranian officials from meeting with the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) and other armed militias, was communicated to Iran's foreign ministry.
The move comes ahead of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's planned visit to Washington, where Baghdad is expected to discuss wide-ranging security and economic agreements with the United States.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the evolving situation. On June 16, The Zioneer reported that Trump would host al-Sudani at the White House in mid-July. On June 21, security analyst Yair Goldblatt reported, citing Arab-world sources, that Qaani was expected to step down as Quds Force commander. The current expulsion order marks a sharp escalation in Iraqi-Iranian tensions, though the report remains unconfirmed by other sources.
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Source and signal
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