Iraq has drawn up sweeping contingency plans for a possible military conflict between Washington and Tehran, deploying troops to border cities and giving commanders authority to respond to armed violations without seeking approval from the commander-in-chief, officials said on Friday. The preparations also include possible shifts to remote learning and measures to accommodate people fleeing conflict zones. Signs of imminent US strikes on Iran have mounted this week, fueling fears in Baghdad that Shiite armed factions could join the fighting on Tehran's side after updating their list of potential targets. Borders under watch A senior security official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq had tightened surveillance of border cities on orders from the commander-in-chief, stepping up field monitoring and round-the-clock assessments of unusual movements. The measures cover the Iranian border from Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan in the north to Basra in the south, near Kuwait and Iran, as well as army deployments along the Syrian border, said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Military commanders are paying particular attention to Basra amid fears that armed factions could operate in strategically sensitive locations with regional significance, the official said. Another official, who attended a high-level meeting on the potential fallout from war last week, said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had granted army commanders exceptional powers to confront armed violations by outlaw groups immediately, without referring decisions to him. The commanders now have "exceptional powers to deter armed groups," the official said. A military patrol in Kirkuk city on Friday. (Iraqi police) Remote learning Beyond military precautions, Iraq's Ministerial Council for National Security has discussed emergency measures that could see schools switch to remote learning, sensitive public-sector records moved and digitally preserved, and preparations made for an influx of people fleeing the fighting, a civilian official familiar with the discussions said. The council, chaired by al-Zaidi as commander-in-chief, includes the national security adviser and the ministers of interior, defense, foreign affairs, finance and planning. A government source, however, told Asharq Al-Awsat it was too early to decide on changes to schooling or government working arrangements. The government first drew up emergency plans in March, when the war erupted following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and has updated them regularly as circumstances changed, the source said. Revolutionary Guards update target lists But political officials speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat this week described an "unprecedented" level of alarm over reports that armed factions had updated their lists of targets on orders from Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps. On Wednesday, Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, as saying resistance leaders had received a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urging them to "confront the enemy without limits." They had begun turning that message into action by issuing a written declaration of full allegiance, Qaani said. One Iraqi official warned that al-Zaidi "could find himself heading the government of a country hostile to the United States if the factions enter the war this time." US presidential envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack, in a statement after meeting al-Zaidi on Thursday evening, said the prime minister faced the toughest task of all: containing crises before they escalated. Al-Zaidi, meanwhile, reaffirmed after a phone call with US President Donald Trump the same day that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to attack neighboring countries. Kurdish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Barrack was expected to brief officials in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah on Friday evening on the latest developments in the Iran crisis and the prospect of renewed military confrontation. Head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faiq Zidan meets with US envoy Tom Brack in Baghdad on Thursday. (Government media) Ruling alliance fears fallout Al-Zaidi has also briefed Iraq's ruling alliance on his preparations for possible US strikes. A political source familiar with the discussions said the prime minister warned the Coordination Framework, which includes the country's leading Shiite political forces, that a US military operation against Iran could be imminent. He also raised concerns that Iran-aligned factions with ties to parties in the alliance could launch deterrent operations on Tehran's orders. Al-Zaidi hopes the ruling parties can restrain those groups, the source said, although some within the alliance fear an Iranian defeat could threaten their own political survival. Kataib Hezbollah faces scrutiny over business interests The war preparations come amid a stream of reports about the business activities of armed factions, as Baghdad faces mounting pressure to stop the groups from attacking neighboring countries. Activists known to be close to the factions have circulated details of business networks and companies run by, or linked to, faction leaders and their relatives. The reports, which are difficult to verify and focus particularly on Kataib Hezbollah, have stirred debate over whether influential actors are trying to undermine the factions' legitimacy by exposing their financial ambitions. The scrutiny comes as the factions, which have long presented themselves as champions of resistance in Iraq, appear poised to join a military confrontation alongside Iran.
