Iranian press review: US accused of reinforcing military presence in Iraq – Middle East Eye
US troops reinforce bases in Iraq
The United States has allegedly deployed new military personnel to theAin al-Asad air base in Iraq, which was targeted by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missile attack in early January, Irans official news agency IRNAreported, quoting Iraqi sources.
IRNA quoted Qusay al-Anbari, a high-ranking member of the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary group, as saying thatUS withdrawal from al-Qaim base was only a tactical move to increase the number of American forces in Ain al-Asad base.
Coronavirus: Are US sanctions hurting Iran's response to the pandemic?
Anbari also claimed that the US had increased the number of its troops in Iraq after two rocket attacks on Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, killed two Americanand one British soldiers inearly March.
In another report, IRNA claimed that US forces were secretly preparing to build a new base in theUmm Samij area in Iraqs al-Anbar province.
Irans official news agency also quoted Karim Alawi, a member of the Iraqi parliaments security and defence committee, as saying that the US military has already started to deploy the Patriot missile defence system in Iraq.
Meanwhile, on WednesdayIRNAs Baghdad bureau reported that a number of US forces in Iraq were infected by the coronavirus. IRNA did not provide any further detail about the number of allegedly infected soldiers.
The report also claimed that the officially released numbers indicating that between 5,000 and 6,000 US troops are in Iraq were incorrect, and that there were about 20,000 US forces and military contractors in the country, who, it said, were perceived to be a possible threat to spread the coronavirus among Iraqis.
A new political standoff between Iranian hardliners and members of President Hassan Rouhanis government has ended with the rejection of an offer by health NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to set up a 48-bed field hospital in Irans third-largest city,Isfahan.
On 22 March, the official Twitter account of the Iranian embassy in France announced that the MSF had transferred medication, masks, special gowns and facilities in a charter flight from the French city of Bordeaux for a field hospital in Iran to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus.
Coronavirus in the Middle East: What you need to know so far
Iran is the worst infected countryby the virus in the Middle East, recording 2,234 deaths and 29,406 infected COVID-19 cases as of Thursday.
The Iranian embassy, in appreciation of the MSFs move againstUS sanctions on Iran, wrote: In the worlds current situation, which is inflamed by the coronavirus, it is necessary to strengthen international unity.
However, hardliners in Iran immediately reacted to the news by bringing up the scandal of HIV-contaminated blood products imported from France to Iran in the early 1980s. The products had infected over 900 haemophilia patients in Iran and created the first wave of AIDS in the country.
It is important to remember that France sent contaminated bloodto Iran during the climax of the Iran-Iraq war, and in a time when they [France] provided the most modern weapons of mass destruction to Iraq, Hossein Shariatmadari, the managing editor of ultra-conservative Kayhan daily, toldFars news agency.
During the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, the US and its Western allies provided military and intelligence assistance to the then-president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein.
In an interview with Fars, Iranian conservative legislator Abolfazl Aboutorabi voiced his doubts about the true reasons for the presence of an MSF team in Iran, while European countries adhere to US sanctions that have pushed Irans economy into a deadly spiral.
What good does it do to us, a 45-bed field hospital inside the compound of Amin Hospital [in Isfahan]? Aboutorabi toldFars news agency, referring to the MSF field hospital.
Iranian economists have estimated that the annual inflation rate for Irans current fiscal year (started on 20 March) could stand between 35 and 40 percent, as a result of new US sanctions and the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.
The new assessments were released despite an earlier report from the governments Statistical Centre of Iran, which announced that the inflation rate for the first three months of the Iranian year (20 March to 30 June) would be below 30 percent.
Iranian economist Ali Dini Torkamani told Shargh daily that the Statistical Centres numbers were based on the studies which were carried out before the coronavirus outbreak in Iran.
When the coronavirus epidemic ends in the country, we will see the [real] impact of the virus outbreak and the US new sanctions on Irans petrochemical, gas and metals exports, Torkamani told the daily.
According to the economist, Iran will experience an inflation rate of 35 to 40 percent in the current Persian year and the countrys economic might shrink by 1 to 2 percent.
Fellow economist SiamakGhassemi has also predicted the same numbers for economic growth in Iran, and predicted that a new wave of unemployment would hit Iran in coming months.
A report by ILNA news agency has described the dire economic situation of residents of Irans most poorest province, Sistan and Baluchestan, which has been hit hard by the economic impact of the coronavirus.
The southeastern provinceis heavily dependent on domestic tourists visiting during the two-week Nowruz holiday. But this year, the coronavirus and measures to ban non-essential travelhave seriously damaged the tourism industry in the country.
Coronavirus: Activists launch digital protest to end US sanctions on Iran
ILNA has reported that in provincialcapital Zahedan, unofficial petrol vendors have no customer, as well as shops selling second-hand Western clothing brands.
Unemployment is evident at every corner of the city, the news agency wrote. The citym which already had many poor and unemployed residents, is now drowning in unemployment.
According to the ILNA, Sistan and Baluchestan hadIran's highest unemployment rate in 2019 at 15.2 percent. Some 70 percent of its population lives under the poverty line.
While the coronavirus death toll in Sistan and Baluchistan has not been not as high as in other provinces in Iran, provincial officials are worried about the long-term economic impact of the pandemic on lives of the provinces residents.
As of Tuesday, Sistan and Baluchistan had registered 150 Covid-19 cases and nine deaths, according to the Fars news agency.
* Iranianpress review is a digest of reports that are not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye
Read more from the original source:
Iranian press review: US accused of reinforcing military presence in Iraq - Middle East Eye
- Iraq's Oil Exports to India Topped $29 Billion in 2024 - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Former minister named Trkiyes special representative to Iraq | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Press advocacy group urges restoration of suspended Iraq political talk show - Jurist.org - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- The Strategic Implications of Irans Shrinking Economic Leverage in Iraq - Middle East Forum - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Iraq warns of water crisis before PM Al-Sudani's visit to Turkey - The New Arab - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- From Croatia to Iraq: The French Fighter Jet Rafale Is in Hot Demand - The National Interest - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Azerbaijan and Iraq discuss boosting interparliamentary ties - Latest news from Azerbaijan - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Severe sandstorms engulf Saudi Arabia and Iraq - The Watchers - Watching the world evolve and transform - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Analysis: Iraq is not-so-seriously attempting to exert control over militias and weapons - Long War Journal - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq Veteran Says Trump Tariffs Sinking Her Baby Products Business - Newsweek - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Suspected ISIS member arrested in connection with New Orleans attack, Iraq says - USA Today - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- ISIS-linked suspect arrested in Iraq tied to New Years Bourbon Street terror attack - fox8live.com - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Silenced voices: The treacherous reality for journalists in Iraq - Shafaq News - - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq and World Health Organization Celebrate World Health Day 2025 with the Launch of the National Strategy for the Health of Women, Children, and... - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Foreigners block extradition of terrorists from Iraq to Iran - Mehr News Agency - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq arrests ISIS suspect linked to deadly truck attack in New Orleans - Al Arabiya English - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Wichita Army veteran did two tours in Iraq and trained snipers in Kansas - KSN-TV - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq: Are These the Top Cultural Tourism Hotspots to Visit Now Before Tariff Impacts Deepen with the... - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Sandstorms and thunder sweep through northern Iraq and Syria - thenationalnews.com - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Sandstorms and thunder sweep through northern Iraq and Syria - MSN - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq arrests ISIS suspect for inciting New Orleans attack - The Arab Weekly - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- The 10 Best Movies About the Iraq War, Ranked - Collider - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- PKK claims Iraq attacks on Kurdish security forces - Space War News - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iran, Iraq move forward with plans to boost trade to $25bn annually - thecradle.co - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Ainuska Kalil kyzy wins $2,500 in international running tournament in Iraq - AKIpress News Agency - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Suspected ISIS member arrested in Iraq in connection with Bourbon Street Attack - WWLTV.com - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Lightning and sandstorms over Iraq and Syria - in pictures - thenationalnews.com - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- ISIS member accused of inciting New Orleans terror attack arrested in Iraq - WSB-TV - May 3rd, 2025 [May 3rd, 2025]
- Iraqi Military Forces Capacity in the Wake of a Likely U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq - New Lines Institute - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Returning from the Middle East, Michael Baumgartner reflects on Iraq's progress since he left in 2008 - The Spokesman-Review - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- So was Poland a sucker when it supported the US in Iraq? - The Hill - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Iraq says Pope Francis' calls for coexistence 'will leave an indelible impact' - NPR - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Turkiye expands military occupation of northern Iraq: Report - thecradle.co - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- JJs Star Spangled Salute: A Kansas Veteran On The Frontlines In Iraq - 101.3 KFDI - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Whats missing from Alex Garlands Iraq movie Warfare? Context, motivation and, for the most part, Iraqis - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- In pictures: Easter celebrated around the world from Greece to Iraq - BBC - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Hemorrhagic Fever Death Toll Rises to Four in Iraq, Health Ministry Confirms - kurdistan24.net - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Iraq veteran and film-maker Ray Mendoza: Writing Warfare with Alex Garland was like going to a therapist - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- French FM visits Iraq as part of regional tour to prepare for Palestine conference - The Arab Weekly - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Warfare review nerve-shredding real-time Iraq war film drags you into visceral frontline combat - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- 'Warfare': The true story behind Ray Mendoza's Iraq War movie - USA Today - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare brings realistic carnage of Iraq War to theaters - Military Times - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Why a Navy SEAL Vet Relived His Iraq War 'Nightmare' to Make the Harrowing Movie Warfare (Exclusive) - People.com - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Is Warfare Fact or Fiction? Inside the Real-Life Iraq War Mission That Inspired the Shocking Movie - People.com - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- 'Warfare': The True Story Behind Iraq War Mission Gone Wrong - Men's Health - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Global agriculture index: Iraq ranks 109th - Shafaq News - - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare aims to be the most authentic Iraq War film yet - CNN - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- UNFPA and German Delegation Visit Womens Protection Center in Anbar, Reaffirming Continued Commitment to Womens Empowerment in Iraq [EN/AR] -... - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Iraq finally confirms parliamentary elections for this November - The New Arab - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- From Artsakh to Iraq: economic blockades as gendered violence - The Armenian Weekly - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- 'Warfare' is based on the true story of a Navy SEAL team that fought in Iraq. The directors made it for a soldier who doesn't remember how he lost a... - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- ICRC in Iraq: Key Figures 2024 [EN/AR/KU] - ReliefWeb - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Iran defies Trump by arming proxy forces in Iraq with missiles - The Times - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Alex Garland's Iraq-war film Warfare is visceral, exciting and unethical - CBC - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- How Warfares All-Star Cast Made the Most Intense Iraq War Film Ever - GQ - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- GE Vernova partners with Iraq on 24,000 MW natural gas power project - energynews.pro - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Al-Sudani in Erbil: Iraq Has Withstood Crises, Now Focused on Stability and Economic Growth - kurdistan24.net - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare pays tribute to those who served in Iraq War with raw and powerful filmmaking - AZFamily - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Exclusive: Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - Reuters - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Executions at 10-year high after huge increases in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia - The Guardian - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Why Trump threats have cowed Tehrans axis of resistance in Iraq - The Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran seeks indirect talks with US, warns Iraq, Kuwait over supporting strikes - Hindustan Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran-backed militias in Iraq are ready to disarm following Trumps threats - New York Post - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Pro-Iran militias in Iraq mulling disarming under threat of US attack, sources say - The Times of Israel - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq, 2nd top destination of Iranian non-oil goods in a year - Tehran Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq calls for meeting to resume negotiations on Kurdistan regional oil exports - Reuters - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iranian proxies in Iraq willing to disarm to avoid conflict with US, commanders and Iraqi officials say - The Times of Israel - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Exclusive-Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - MSN - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran's influence in neighboring Iraq is waning - Neue Zrcher Zeitung - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- A man wielding an axe wounds 3 people at the Assyrian Christian new year parade in Iraq - AP News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Landmines and explosive remnants cast a long shadow over Iraq amid recovery efforts - International Committee of the Red Cross - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Marine writes book aiming to clear his name after bloody Iraq ambush - Marine Corps Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Washington halted the Iraq-Iran electricity waiver. Here is how it's perceived by Washington and Baghdad. - Atlantic Council - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- In the minefields of Iraq, Noora works to restore life and hope to her homeland - International Committee of the Red Cross - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq aims to utilize 70% of flared gas by end of 2025 - Iraqi News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- How Carey Mulligans brother found himself dodging bombs and bullets in Iraq - The Irish News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Who are the main Iran-backed militias in Iraq? - thenationalnews.com - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq Seizes Over Two Tons of Drugs, Arrests More Than 1,500 Traffickers in Major Crackdown - kurdistan24.net - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- FM Fidan calls on Iraq to confront PKK terror group with same determination shown against Daesh - Trkiye Today - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - The Japan Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]