Al-Jolani Urges Iraqi PM to Stay Out of Syria Conflict

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to keep Iraq out of Syria’s ongoing conflict. In a video message shared on the group’s Telegram channel, Jolani urged Sudani to avoid getting involved in what he described as the “furnace” of the war in Syria.

The appeal came after Iraq’s Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group called for the Iraqi government to send troops to Syria to support the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. Kataeb Hezbollah is part of the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, a collection of Iran-backed paramilitary groups now integrated into Iraq’s regular military forces.

Jolani specifically warned Sudani against allowing the Iraqi Hashed al-Shaabi forces to intervene in Syria. He stressed that there is a misconception among some Iraqi politicians that the conflict in Syria could spread into Iraq, but he firmly rejected this idea, stating it is entirely false.

The Hashed al-Shaabi, which is under the Iraqi prime minister’s command, has denied any involvement in military actions outside Iraq’s borders. However, Kataeb Hezbollah has previously fought in Syria alongside Assad’s forces.

Recently, Iraq sent armored vehicles to reinforce security along its border with Syria, which spans 600 kilometers (370 miles). Sudani, during a meeting with Assad, emphasized Iraq’s national security being closely linked to Syria’s security and highlighted Iraq’s role in regional stability.

Additionally, reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated that about 200 Iraqi fighters, aligned with Iran, entered Syria earlier this week to support Assad’s forces.

Iraq continues to feel the effects of the Islamic State’s rise in 2014, when the group seized nearly a third of the country before being defeated by local forces supported by a U.S.-led coalition in 2017.