Senior Revolutionary Guard officer to be Iran’s envoy to Baghdad: sources

Iranian sources said Thursday that Iraj Masjedi, who for the past five years has served as senior advisor of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been chosen as Iran's new ambassador to Iraq.  During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, Masjedi served at the IRGC's Ramezan base where he developed relationships with Iraqi Kurdish militias including the PUK. DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources report that the appointment of Masjedi signals Iran's intention to continue its involvement in Iraq's internal political conflicts. He is one of the senior members of the Quds Force that is responsible for the IRGC's military operations outside Iran's borders.