BAGHDAD—Iraq’s military said Sunday it will begin sharing “security and intelligence” information with Syria, Russia and Iran to help combat the Islamic State (ISIS), a move that could further complicate U.S. efforts to battle the extremists without working with Damascus and its allies.
A statement issued by the Joint Operations Command said the countries will “help and cooperate in collecting information about the terrorist Daesh group,” using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.
Iraq has long had close ties with neighboring Iran and has coordinated with Tehran in fighting ISIS—which controls about a third of Iraq and Syria in a self-declared caliphate. Iran has sent military advisers to Iraq and worked closely with Shiite militias battling ISIS.
A U.S.-led coalition has meanwhile been conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria as well as training and advising Iraqi forces, but U.S. officials insist they are not coordinating their efforts with Iran.
The U.S. also refuses to cooperate with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who Washington has insisted should step down. Russia and Iran have provided crucial support to Assad since Syria’s uprising began in 2011.
