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Qaani in Baghdad 2 Days after Iran's Strikes on Erbil

Esmail Qaani. (AFP file photo)
Esmail Qaani. (AFP file photo)
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Qaani in Baghdad 2 Days after Iran's Strikes on Erbil

Esmail Qaani. (AFP file photo)
Esmail Qaani. (AFP file photo)

Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force Esmail Qaani arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday in an unannounced visit, two days after the Guards claimed responsibility for ballistic missile attacks against Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

Iran said the barrage was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of the Guards earlier this month. Iranian state media said the Guards had launched the attack against Israeli "strategic centers" in Erbil.

Qaani was likely in Baghdad to present "evidence" to back the Iranian claims of alleged Israeli activity in Kurdistan. He will also attempt to politically exploit the attack to help unify Shiite ranks in Iraq amid the sharp division between the Sadrist movement, led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, and the pro-Iran Coordination Framework.

Qaani will attempt to persuade Sadr that Israeli Mossad agents were operating in Erbil. This will force the cleric to abandon his alliance with the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Masoud Barzani, and Sunni parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and Khamis Khanjar.

Should he succeed, Qaani would have thrown a wrench in Sadr's plans for a majority coalition that shuts out Tehran from Iraqi politics.

So far, Qaani's frequent visits to Iraq after the October parliamentary elections have failed to unify Shiite ranks. In fact, Tehran's role appears to have waned, while Turkey has succeeded in uniting Sunni factions.

Despite its pressure, Iran has failed in thwarting the divisions among Shiite groups and it has failed in countering Sadr's plan for a majority coalition and government that shuns foreign meddling, namely from Iran and the United States.

The Erbil attack is also seen as a message to Barzani, whom Tehran blames for dividing Shiites.

Ultimately, Iran believes that its plans in Iraq can only be achieved by breaking up Sadr's alliance with the KDP and Sunnis. It would rather that all Shiites unite in one bloc, while it could care less if the Sunnis and Kurds unite or remain divided.

Sadr has formed a committee with Barzani to verify Iran's claims about Erbil.

Outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had headed to the Kurdish capital on Monday to inspect the damage. He urged Iran to present evidence of its claims, a sign that he has sided with Sadr in the entire affair.

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London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
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London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf described the visit of a British diplomatic delegation to the administrative capital, Port Sudan, as “highly significant,” stating that it aimed to consult with the Sudanese government regarding London’s plans to hold an international conference on Sudan in mid-April.

The conference, set to coincide with the second anniversary of the conflict, seeks to coordinate efforts between the two foreign ministries.

In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday, Yusuf clarified that the conference will focus solely on humanitarian issues, civilian protection, and peace, with no other objectives.

He added: “The British delegation’s visit is to brief the Sudanese government on the conference’s goals and the invited parties.”

The Sudanese minister welcomed the British initiative as a “positive step,” following a key meeting with British officials in Munich, where bilateral relations and diplomatic engagement between Sudan and the UK were discussed to prevent escalations in international forums. “So far, discussions are progressing well,” he stated.

Yusuf confirmed that communication and meetings between Port Sudan and London are ongoing, saying: “The Sudanese ambassador in London arranged a meeting for me with the British Minister of State for African Affairs, which was highly constructive.”

On Tuesday, Port Sudan received a British diplomatic delegation that included Harriet Matthews, Director General for Africa, the Americas, and the Overseas Territories at the UK Foreign Office; Richard Crowder, the UK Special Envoy to Sudan; Mark Taylor, a political advisor at the British Embassy in Cairo; and the head of the UK Office for Sudan Affairs.

In its first meetings with Sudanese officials, the delegation met with the Governor of Darfur, Minni Arko Minnawi, to discuss the worsening humanitarian conditions for displaced people, particularly in Darfur’s camps.

Minnawi informed the delegation that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to block roads and prevent aid convoys from reaching those in need. He also criticized the international community’s stance on the situation in Darfur and urged Britain to take a more active role in addressing the crisis affecting the region’s population.

The British delegation is also expected to address Sudan’s accusations against the UK, alleging that it has “abandoned its moral and political responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, supported war financiers in Sudan, and held secret meetings with RSF leaders—making it complicit in the atrocities being committed.”

In November 2024, Britain, alongside Sierra Leone, submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council aimed at strengthening measures to protect civilians in Sudan. The resolution urged both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration on humanitarian principles. However, Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing that it undermined Sudan’s sovereignty.

In December, Sudanese Deputy Sovereign Council Chairman Malik Agar informed the British envoy of his government’s objections to the UK’s stance on the war, stating that Sudan “is dissatisfied with Britain’s negative and unsupportive position toward the Sudanese people.”