Israel, US Make Deal For Covert, Semi-Covert Ops Inside Iran – Report

According to a readout of the call by the White House, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Iraq and consulted on regional developments with the Iraqi premier.

“The President reaffirmed the US commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq and commended the Prime Minister’s efforts to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and independence,” read the statement.

They also discussed al-Sudani’s economic agenda and plans to ensure that Iraq’s economy is delivering for the Iraqi people, policies the US is prepared to fully endorse, especially to curb the influence of the Islamic Republic in the country.

Biden welcomed the upcoming visit by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and an accompanying delegation next week to Washington to further discuss these programs.

The US president took the opportunity of King Abdullah of Jordan’s visit to the White House to invite him to join the call, in which King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s support for Iraq, including through joint strategic infrastructure projects.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud visited Iraq, affirming that economic relations with Iraq were developing significantly. Bin Farhan made the statement during a joint press conference with Hussein.

Earlier in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in which the two signed a set of strategic agreements meant to boost Iraq’s economic cooperation with the European country. Macron launched the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in 2021, which aims at strengthening regional stability by involving Iraq and enhancing its role.

After a dinner meeting in the Elysee Palace with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, Macron called for “firmness in the face of Iran’s headlong rush, which if continued would inevitably have consequences.”

The French president also noted “that Iranian support for Russian aggression in Ukraine exposes Iran to sanctions and increasing isolation,” while Netanyahu said Israel is considering sending military aid to Ukraine, which seems Israel plans to drop its more neutral stance over the conflict in the hope of securing a more anti-Iran Western position towards Tehran.

While Macron met Netanyahu in Paris, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna flew to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. France is a major arms supplier to both countries, with Riyadh becoming the biggest purchaser of French weapons in 2020.

Macron also mediated a regional summit in Jordan in December about the future of Iraq.

France is an important power in the eastern Mediterranean, where it maintains a significant naval and aerial presence and enjoys an historic role in Lebanon.

Before the Israeli premier took off for Paris earlier Thursday for his first meeting with Macron since he returned to power late last year, Netanyahu said the focus of his conversations with Macron would be “our joint efforts to stop Iran’s aggression and its drive toward a nuclear weapon.”

France agrees that "firmness" is needed in dealings with Iran, a diplomatic source told AFP, calling its nuclear program "dangerous" and highlighting its role in the Ukraine war.

CIA Director William Burns said on Thursday the intelligence agency assesses that the next six months will be "critical" for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.

Speaking at a foreign policy event at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Burns also said Iran's government was increasingly unsettled by affairs within the country, citing the courage of what he described as "fed up" Iranian women.

Burns also said he was concerned about prospects for greater violence between Israelis and Palestinians

Tehran has supplied hundreds of drones to Russia since mid-2022 that have been used during missile attacks to inflict more damage or to swamp Ukrainian air defenses. The United States and Europe have imposed new sanctions on Tehran for its expanded military ties with Moscow and also its deadly crackdown on protests since last September.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, but foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian after earlier denials acknowledged in early November that Tehran had supplied drones to Moscow “months before” the Ukraine war, leaving it vague if these were used in the war.

The United States and its European allies have strongly objected to Iranian drones for Russia, imposing sanctions move, and keeping nuclear talks with Tehran dormant.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, visited Iraq, affirming that economic relations with Iraq were developing significantly. Bin Farhan made the statement during a joint press conference held in Iraq with the country’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Hussein said, "security cooperation continues with Saudi Arabia" and added they were “working to reduce tensions in the region,” highlighting the depth of relations with Iraq, which he stated had "witnessed great momentum recently.”

“We support the Iraqi government’s effort to enhance stability,” he said, adding that stability was crucial in order for opportunities for prosperity to rise.

Prince Faisal added that economic ties with Iraq have also “greatly improved,” noting that “The region cannot prosper without stability.” 

Hussein also highlighted relations with Saudi Arabia, saying “security cooperation” is ongoing with Riyadh and added that “[We] are working on easing tensions in the region.”

Earlier in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, in which the two signed a set of strategic agreements meant to boost Iraq’s economic cooperation with the European country. In the meeting, France and Iraq signed a treaty that seeks to strengthen bilateral relations in anti-corruption, security, renewable energy and culture, the Elysee Palace said on Friday. 

Macron launched the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in 2021, which aims at strengthening regional stability by involving Iraq and enhancing its role. 

Prince Faisal is expected to meet with President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbous.

"This important visit comes at a time marked by great challenges, so it is essential to talk and discuss these challenges which affect the region as a whole," Hussein said, alongside Prince Faisal.

“We will not achieve these goals without a secure and stable region, and here is where Iraq plays an essential and important role in enhancing this stability. We will work together to advance the stability process in the region through dialogue, promoting common interests, and addressing any disagreements,” said the Saudi foreign minister.

Hussein hailed "total cooperation" with Saudi Arabia on oil, particularly within the OPEC cartel. Iraq's foreign minister said Riyadh was ready to back Saudi companies investing in Iraq, and welcomed it. "We hope Iraq will be supplied with electricity, either via the Saudi network or that in the Gulf," he said.

Despite being oil-rich, Iraq suffers from insufficient infrastructure and public services, after decades of conflict and endemic corruption. Baghdad is currently heavily dependent on the Islamic Republic for its electricity and gas, and has sought to diversify its energy sources. Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, especially felt when summer temperatures reach scorching levels of over 50 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures subsequently push citizens to consume very high amounts of power.

Baghdad has taken a role as a mediator between the regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, after diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran froze in 2016. Since April 2021, Iraq has hosted a series of meetings between the two sides, but no talks have been publicly announced since April 2022.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the move was triggered a couple of months ago to stamp out what Iraqi officials describe as rampant money laundering that benefits Tehran and Damascus which are under US sanctions.

Iraq is now feeling the result, with an unprecedented drop in the value of its currency and public anger blowing back against the prime minister.

The exchange rate for the Iraqi dinar has jumped to around 1,680 to the dollar at street exchanges, compared to the official rate of 1,460 dinars to the dollar.

Hundreds of people once again demonstrated near the central bank headquarters in Baghdad on Wednesday to protest the devaluation of the Iraqi dinar against the dollar, which has triggered a rise in prices of imported consumer goods.

An informed source last week told Iran International that representatives from the Iraqi government are scheduled to go to US this month to discuss US monitoring and restrictions on dollar wire transfers by Iraqi banks that have reduced the supply of the greenback in the country.

People from different Iraqi regions waved Iraqi flags or carried banners demanding government intervention to stop the dinar's decline to around 1,620 to the greenback from 1,470 in November. “Stop the neighbors stealing our dollars,” one banner read, alluding to Iran.