Iraqi border eyes Iran influence as US plans Syria pullout
After the retaking of IS-held territory across the border and the US announcement it would pull its troops out of Syria, Iraq’s western Anbar is grappling with the prospect of increased Iranian influence amid joblessness, a lack of electricity and reports of cross-border drug smuggling.
QAIM, Iraq — As minor pockets of Islamic State (IS) territory in eastern Syria are treated as of little consequence following the entrance of US-backed fighters into the long-besieged Hejin region, Iraq’s western Anbar province is facing up to emboldened pro-Iran armed groups nearby.
The surprise announcement Dec. 19 that the United States plans to pull its roughly 2,000 troops out of eastern Syria strongly suggests that the already heavy influence of Iran-backed armed groups near the border will rise.
Much of IS-held Hejin east of the Euphrates River was retaken in December by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the international coalition. Villages and areas near the town remain under IS control, however, according to locals contacted by Al-Monitor.
Following President Donald Trump's announcement, the SDF was said to be talking to the pro-Iran Syrian government and considering the release of more than 1,000 IS fighters it is holding. The Kurdish-led forces have repeatedly been accused by other Syrian opposition groups of collaborating with the regime.
