The Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group has joined Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Qassem Soleimani in negotiations to select Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's replacement, according to the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
"Soleimani is in Baghdad to push for a particular candidate to succeed Abdul Mahdi," said an informed Iraqi source to Agence France Press. Hezbollah official Mohammad Kawtharani, who is responsible for the terrorist group's Iraqi file, has joined Soleimani and "is also playing a large role in persuading Shi'ite and Sunni political forces in this," according to the source.
Kawtharani was sanctioned by the United States in August 2013 for working "on behalf of Hezbollah's leadership to promote the group's interests in Iraq, including Hezbollah efforts to provide training, funding, political, and logistical support to Iraqi Shiite insurgent groups," according to the US Department of Treasury's website. The Hezbollah official also helped recruit fighters for the Assad regime in Syria.
According to Al Arabiya, Soleimani came to Iraq last weekend as Abdul Mahdi tendered his resignation to the Iraqi parliament. The Quds Force commander also visited Baghdad in October to help advise the Baghdad government on the crackdown on anti-government protests. During the October visit, Soleimani met with the militias of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and told them to support Mahdi.
On Tuesday, the Iranian consulate in Najaf was torched for the third time. Iranian consulates in the cities of Karbala and Najaf have been torched and Iraqi flags have been raised over both during the protests, which began in October.
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