Baghdad (AsiaNews) - Iranian fighter jets have made several bombing raids against Islamic State (IS, former Isis) targets of the in east Iraq. This is confirmed by the Pentagon spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, and shows Tehran's strong determination in combating terrorist fundamentalism, as well as the de facto alliance between apparent enemies Iran and the United States.
Kirby said that the Iranians use F-4 Phantom aircraft (sold to them by the United States before 1979) and that even though the Americans carry out air raids, there is no coordination between the two forces. In any case, he said, it's up to the Iraqi government to manage its airspace.
Iranian forces are staunch allies of the Baghdad government and Shiite militias in the fight against Isis terrorism. Besides the reference to Shiism in both countries, Tehran fears a spread of IS radicalism to its regions in the north and east, inhabited by Sunnis.
Iran immediately came to the aid of Iraq when the Sunni IS jihadists conquered the central and western parts of Iraq. Last summer, the Iranian Chief of Staff, Qassem Soleimani led a counterattack in Iraq to free a key communication route between Baghdad and Samarra. Several Iranian military advisers are also helping the national army and the Kurdish peshmerga in their struggle against jihadi militias.
The US-led anti-IS coalition had ruled out cooperation with Iran and Syria, as well as that of China and Russia. According to analysts, a UN-led coalition would include these and other states for a more effective fight against Islamic terrorism.
