For the fifth time, Iraq once again compelled an Iranian cargo plane to land in Baghdad city. According to the reports, the airplane had set off for Syria but while crossing Iraqi airspace, it was forced to make a compulsory landing. During a month, it was the fifth time that Iraq forced Iranian airplane to have compulsory landing.
Iran has described the inspections as “unacceptable” and has officially protested to Baghdad, describing the searches as part of “an Iranophobia project sponsored by the United States, Western countries and the Zionist (Israeli) regime and certain regional countries.”
The problem starts with exert of influence of Washington on Baghdad to control Iranian airplanes that are bound to reach Syria. Washington believes that those cargo planes bound to Syria are sending arms for Damascus regime. Washington has for months accused Baghdad of looking the other way as Tehran sends military equipment through Iraqi airspace to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, and has called on Iraqi authorities to make random, unannounced inspections.
Tehran has remained a steadfast ally of Assad regime despite the bloody conflict with Syrian rebels who are seeking his overthrow, which the United Nations says has killed more than 70,000 people since it erupted in March 2011.
After the military withdrawal of US from Iraq, many analysts voiced out that Tehran may exploit the toil of Washington. The notion was widely sparked by the notion that US military engagement which ended with the death of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party which fought with Islamic Republic for eight years and its relation never recovered since then. So, the end of Saddam Hussien helped Shiite parties whose leaders mostly were trained from Iran rise to power. Thus, establishment of Shiite government in Iraq has been largely interpreted as success for Iran.
Indeed, such interpretation was also fuelled by cozy relation between Baghdad and Tehran. Now the bilateral relation has turned tense. The government of Nouri Al Maliki has tried its best to show that his administration follows an autonomous and independent policy without the influence of Tehran.
In addition, it has become far complicated as Iraq does not follow similar policies regarding Syria. Aligning of Arab countries with oppositions and support of Western countries for rebellions have made Baghdad to be more cautious. This issue affects the bilateral relation between Tehran and Baghdad.