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Battle over Fallujah Tests US-Iran Tacit Deal against ISIL

As Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s al-Quds Force, was reportedly spotted in the northern outskirts of the besieged city of Fallujah, the US and the Iraqi governments quietly shifted their focus to the southern front before Prime Minister Haidar al- Abadi announced on June 1 a pause in the military operation to liberate the city from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This policy analysis paper examines the tactics of the battle over Fallujah, the role of the Iran-backed militias and how the US-Iran soft showdown in the city will evolve. Continue reading “Battle over Fallujah Tests US-Iran Tacit Deal against ISIL”