Iran is bolstering its influence in Iraq by moving in leaders of its proxy terrorist organizations Hamas and the Yemeni Houthi movement, the left-wing New York Times reported on Sunday — days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian concluded a visit to the neighboring country.
Pezeshkian, elected in a special election following the death of predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in a mysterious helicopter crash in May, made a tour of Iraq his first international visit while in office. Pezeshkian departed the country on Friday after visiting Baghdad, meeting with Kurdish leadership in Erbil, and concluding with a stop in Basra. He emphasized unity and cooperation among Muslim political entities during his conversations there and reportedly signed 14 memoranda of understanding with the Iraqi government in Baghdad.
The Iraqi government has not openly boasted of helping its proxies expand their influence in Baghdad. The New York Times noted that it only confirmed the official presence of Hamas and the Houthis in the Iraqi capital via unnamed officials and that both terrorist organizations are attempting to keep a low profile in the country. The Houthis, as a Shiite terrorist organization, has reportedly received an especially “warm” welcome from the Shiite terrorist coalition known as