US Airstrikes Kill Six Iranian Military Advisors and 20 Militants in Central Iraq

US airstrikes in central Iraq's Amerli area reportedly killed six Iranian military advisors and 20 pro-Iranian militia members, with 30 others wounded. Among the dead is said to be a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, Ali Iqbal Pour, though his death has not been officially confirmed. Western sources told the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that these advisors operate under direct command of Quds Force officers, holding diplomatic passports and directing Iraqi militias responsible for rocket attacks on Gulf states and Jordan.

The report identifies key Iranian commanders in Iraq, including Hajj Hamad (aka Abdullahi), deputy to Quds Force leader Esmail Qaani for Iraqi affairs; Jawad R'Fari, recently transferred from Syria and Palestinian arenas to Iraq due to his expertise; and Hajj Iqbal Pour, who oversees militias in northern Iraq and was instrumental in the 2017 takeover of Kirkuk from Kurdish forces. Another figure, known as "Doctor Amir," is an economic expert managing arms smuggling routes from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon, as well as circumventing US sanctions via multiple companies and handling cash and oil transfers.

These advisors maintain numerous facilities across southern and central Iraq, including in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, the Iranian embassy's cultural annex in Baghdad, and headquarters near the Green Zone housing Iraqi government institutions and the US embassy. Iraqi sources report that since the fall of Assad's regime and developments in southern Lebanon, Iran has intensified control over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraqi militias by deploying many Quds Force officers to ensure direct management and influence.

Officials emphasize Iran's refusal to relinquish control over its proxy forces, noting that Hezbollah's increased rhetoric against Lebanon's president and prime minister, as well as the militias' tougher stance toward Baghdad's government, are directed by Tehran. This underscores Tehran's ongoing strategic efforts to maintain dominance over its regional proxies despite international pressure.