AP-16 March 2018- WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday accused Iran of funneling money into Iraq to sway the outcome of its elections, calling it part of a broader pattern of destabilizing Iranian actions across the Middle East.
Iran is widely seen as gaining more influence in Iraq during its period of instability following the takeover of much of northern and western Iraq by Islamic State militants in 2014. The IS militants have since been largely defeated, but Iraqi political stability still hangs in the balance.
“We have worrisome evidence that Iran is trying to influence — using money — the Iraqi elections,” Mattis told reporters flying with him to Washington from the Persian Gulf island state of Bahrain, where he discussed Iran and other issues with senior government officials.
“We know that they are doing what they can to impact the elections, and we don’t like it.”
Iran’s political influence in Iraq has grown since the U.S. invaded to remove President Saddam Hussein in 2003, marking the start of a prolonged period of sectarian division, extremist violence and political strife.
The U.S. still has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq supporting its fight against remaining pockets of IS resistance. Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups also have fought IS, sometimes in coordination with Baghdad and sometimes not.
Mattis sharply criticized what he termed Iranian meddling elsewhere in the Middle East. He said Tehran is providing ammunition and explosives to fighters in Syria, and supporting rebels in Yemen.
He said the strait between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, off the coast of southern Yemen, is being used as a “proving ground” for advanced Iranian weaponry. This includes anti-ship missiles, radars, mines, ballistic missiles and explosive boats, he said.