Iraqi Reports Split Over Qaani Persona Non Grata Claim

At 9:29 p.m. IDT, Mako carried reports from Baghdad that Iraqi authorities notified Tehran that IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani was persona non grata in Iraq. Masrawy, Alssaa and Tareeq al-Shaab reported the same claim, tying it to Khamenei funeral preparations in Najaf and Karbala, limits on Iranian meetings with Popular Mobilization factions, and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's expected Washington visit. Ultra Iraq, however, quoted a source close to al-Zaidi denying any decision to bar Qaani or other Iranian figures from entering Iraq for the funeral. For Israel, the dispute still signals pressure on Tehran's militia network; real value depends on Baghdad enforcing sovereignty, not trading statements.