Smuggling arms from Iraq to help Russia; government denies, paramilitary group refutes

Shafaq News/ Spokesperson to Iraq's border-crossing authority on Tuesday refuted the Guardian's report about transborder undercover networks in Iraq used to supply Russia with military hardware, and a paramilitary leader aligned with Iran ridiculed the allegations of the British newspaper.

The Guardian adduced Iraqi intelligence and paramilitary personnel claiming that Russia is receiving weapons and ammunitions sourced from Iraq for its war effort in Ukraine with the help of Iranian weapons smuggling networks.

Spokesperson to the Commission, Ali al-Qaysi, told Shafaq News Agency, "any remarks about smuggling weapons and ammunition via our borders are unfounded. Nothing is further from the truth."

"There are security forces stationed at the border-crossings. The border-crossings are sealed to hinder the smuggling of any illegal material," he added.

The leading figure in the Iran-backed al-Nujaba movement, Haidar al-Lami, said, "no sane person can digest such a thing. Why would Russia, that has the second largest and most equipped army worldwide, receive ammunition and arms from the Resistance factions in Iraq? this is hilarious."

"That news is unfounded...Everybody knows the military capabilities of the Russian army. Such reports probably have another agenda."