Iraq Arrests Commentator Over Israel-Iran War Radar Post

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: AP

On Wednesday, Iraqi security forces arrested a political commentator named Abbas Al-Ardawi. He was taken into custody after he shared a post online claiming that a military radar system in Iraq had been used to help Israel in its war against Iran.

The arrest was made after a court issued a warrant. Iraq’s Ministry of Defense said the post included false claims that were meant to insult and harm the country’s security institutions.

The post was made on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), where Ardawi has over 90,000 followers. Although the post has now been deleted, a screenshot of it is still being shared online. In it, Ardawi wrote that “a French radar in the Taji base served the Israeli aggression” and that it was destroyed.

This post came shortly before a ceasefire was declared between Iran and Israel, ending a 12-day war. Just hours before the ceasefire, unidentified drones attacked radar systems at two Iraqi military bases — one at Taji, north of Baghdad, and the other at the Imam Ali air base in Dhi Qar province, in the south.

The Taji base used to host US troops and was often targeted by rocket attacks in the past. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest drone strikes.

A source close to Iran-backed groups in Iraq told that these armed factions were not involved in the attacks.

Abbas Al-Ardawi is known to support Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. He has also supported the Coordination Framework, a powerful political group in parliament that is friendly with Tehran (Iran’s capital).

The Ministry of Defense said the arrest was made based on orders from the Prime Minister, who is also Iraq’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The statement said the goal was to protect the country’s security and not to be soft with anyone who puts Iraq’s safety at risk.

At the same time, the government noted that while freedom of speech is important, it should not harm national security or the country’s interests.

Many groups in Iraq, especially those backed by Iran, have often criticized the presence of US troops in the country. They believe the US military helps Israel use Iraq’s airspace.

The US-led military coalition fighting terrorism in Iraq includes French troops, who are helping train Iraqi forces. However, officials say there is no known French presence at the Taji base at this time.

During the Iran-Israel conflict, Iraq had closed its airspace to protect itself. But on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, the Iraqi government reopened the skies.