The United States, in contrast, “has left no real mark on Iraq.” Iran helps its allies with money, political backing and sticks with them, explained Nineveh councilor Ali Khdeir. If any side prevails, many of these insiders believe, it will ultimately be the side aligned with Iran. Speaking to Reuters over the span of a year, around 20 Iraqi officials involved in the political tussle over Nineveh described how Iran and its allies developed the networks to influence local government, how pro-Western officials tried to hit back, and how this tug of war has crippled Mosul’s recovery. The contest mirrors a wider struggle over the future of Iraq itself. The pro-Western camp replaced the Nineveh governor with a longtime U.S. sanctions and the assassination of Iran’s military mastermind Qassem Soleimani challenged Iranian influence. They installed a governor favoured by Tehran a year ago. The route serves Iran-backed militias, Washington’s fiercest enemy here since the defeat of Islamic State.
Others favour the United States.Īt stake: political control of Nineveh province, of which Mosul is capital – a region rich in natural resources and a link in a supply route from Tehran to the Mediterranean. Taking place largely behind the scenes, from legislative halls that overlook the city’s bombed-out streets to hotel meeting rooms in Baghdad, it is a power struggle among parties, politicians and militiamen.
REUTERS/Abdullah Rashid To match Special Report IRAQ-IRAN/MOSUL A view shows the destroyed houses in the old city of Mosul, Iraq, June 3, 2020.
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