BAGHDAD - Video footage released by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense last week confirmed the presence of Iranian T-72 main battle tank variants in the vehicle stocks of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

In the tumultuous period following the launch of ISIS's large-scale Iraqi offensive, and the subsequent collapse of significant sections of the Iraqi Army, the nation's government came to increasingly rely upon the abundant manpower of highly devoted Shiite militia groups to stem the tide of ISIS expansionism.

The government has organized the disparate militia groups, which ascribe to an array of political affiliations, under the sanctioned banner of Popular Mobilization Units. With the momentum of ISIS's early victories now having been stalled after a year of harsh ground fighting and the prohibiting effect of the continuous air-support lent to Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish fighters by Western and Middle Eastern nations, the Iraqi Government and regrouped Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are now on the attack, launching a major offensive to reclaim lost territory, most notably the city of Tikrit.

As during the conflict's early stages, the Popular Mobilization Units have played a key role in the new offensive, contributing a considerable share of the fighters and material necessary to sustain the government's push toward Tikrit.

Ample media coverage of the footage has also allowed Western observers to gain a clearer picture of the extremely significant material contributions made by Iran toward the arming of the Popular Mobilization Units.

Although photographs, reports and video footage of Iranian vehicles being operated in Iraq have appeared intermittently during the entire span of the current conflict, the Tikrit offensive has clarified the scale of Iranian influence.

Iran-backed militia groups, such as Kata'ib Hezbollah, operate large numbers of Iranian Safir 4x4 multipurpose vehicles, including variants integrating recoilless rifles and rocket artillery systems. Unspecified militia groups or ISF forces have also been confirmed to operate Iran's HM-20 MLRS, a domestic variant of the ubiquitous BM-21 Grad produced by the Soviet Union and its successor states.

The total quantity of Iranian main-battle-tanks being operated by the Popular Mobilization Units and ISF is less clear than that of MPVs and artillery systems, but reporting by open-source outlet Oryx Blog indicates that the number remains relatively small at the time of writing. Nevertheless, the vehicles' presence and open operation is indicative of Iran's influential role in Iraq's ongoing conflict, and likely signals that the country intends to deliver increasingly potent armament into the hands of militia organizations and the ISF in the battle against ISIL.

Source: Iraq Ministry of Defense
Associated URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgO1BTdcqwE
Author: T. Dolzall, Military Vehicles Analyst