1186: Iran rocketing Iraq tests Biden. Behnam Ben Taleblu, @FDD, and Malcolm Hoenlein, @conf_of_pres,
Image: Early Rockets Behnam Ben Taleblu, @FDD,and Malcolm Hoenlein, @conf_of_pres, Conference of Presidents; in re: Iraqi rocket attack. Why would Iran do this. Perhaps as a test of Biden—although Iran never ceased these attacks, from May 2019 to late 2020, using rockets designed to kill. NATO and the Iraqi military—which is increasingly penetrated by Iran. Khadhimi and the Iranian presence. Biden has delinked all the [villainous ] Iranian regional activity, which is deeply problematic. Possible that Khadimi has a secret deal with Iran to stop attacking US forces? That’d be hard for him to do. And what could Khadimi have offered? Right after the Erbil attack, the word “Iran” was noticeably absent, but no one else has the capacity to mount that specific attack. Arms depots struck in western Iraq a year ago probably was by Israel. But if Israel does this again, how would that affect Iraqi domestic politics? Turkey: Iraqi Kurds Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior Fellow at FDD, where he focusses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research Fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/irans-use-of-iraq-as-a-missile-base-threats-and-logistics-analysis-659416 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iraq-rocket-attack-kills-contractor-wounds-u-s-service-member-n1257963 https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/16/erdogan-turkey-tensions-iraq-deaths-pkk/ https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2021/2/12/secret-deal-halts-attacks-on-uss-baghdad-embassy-reports