Intel official: Iran ‘pissed’ at Iraq for joining with US in Tikrit fight

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/27/intel-official-iran-pissed-at-iraq-for-joining-with-us-in-tikrit-fight/

joining with US in Tikrit fight

By Lucas Tomlinson
Published March 27, 2015
FoxNews.com
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March 26, 2015: Iraqi security forces prepare to attack Islamic State positions in Tikrit. (AP)

An intelligence official told Fox News that Iran's government is fuming over the U.S. joining forces with Iraq in the fight for Tikrit -- a decision that led Iran-backed militias to stand down.

"They are really pissed that Iraq is choosing to partner with the U.S. in the battle for Tikrit," the official said.

The heavy involvement of Iran-backed Shiite militias in the battle for Tikrit, currently held by the Islamic State, was a big factor in the United States' initial reluctance to get involved.

But with the U.S. launching airstrikes, Iran has threatened to order all its Shiite militias, including members of the powerful Badr Brigade, out of the area and in some cases out of Iraq, according to the official.

"They will probably send them to Yemen," he said, referring to the widespread fighting in the unstable nation where Saudi Arabia and others are now battling Iran-backed forces for control.