"The German army has suspended the training," defence ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said on Wednesday, AFP reported. There was “no concrete threat” at the moment, but Germany made the decision because of "generally heightened alert, awareness" for soldiers deployed in the region, he explained.
There are about 100 German soldiers in Erbil and another 60 in Taji, north of Baghdad.
The Netherlands has also suspended its training, citing similar threats, Dutch media reported. There are more than 50 Dutch soldiers training Peshmerga in Erbil. The Netherlands is keeping its embassy open, however, while the US announced it is pulling out non-emergency consular staff as a safety precaution.
Iraq is on edge as the situation heats up between the US and Iran after four ships were attacked near the strategic Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
The Pentagon says it has seen signs that Iran is preparing “to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests,” explaining its decision to deploy war ships to the Middle East.
“We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in Moscow on Tuesday when asked if Washington has chosen to use force against Iran. “But we’ve also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Tuesday denied that these threats were emanating from within Iraq’s borders where Iran has close ties with elements of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). “We check with all the armed forces, Hashd al-Shaabi [PMF], Peshmerga. We check the information that every side has. As of now, we haven’t recorded serious movements that could constitute a threat to anyone,” he said.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ruled out war or talks with the US.
“For sure, there will be no war, and in reality the confrontation is the battle of wills and in this regard the will of the people of Iran is stronger than the enemy and with the grace of Allah, this time we will be victorious again,” he said on Tuesday.
The possibility of conflict between Iran and the US is a serious concern for Iraq where both nations have vested interests. Senior Iraqi leaders have called on Baghdad to try and take on a mediatory role between their two allies.
Peshmerga officials are also worried about the ramifications of a possible conflict that would “pose a regional threat and the region’s countries will be entangled in this violence,” Brig. Gen. Jamal Iminiki, chief of staff of the Peshmerga Ministry, told Rudaw.
He is worried that ISIS could take advantage of the situation as focus in Iraq diverts away from the extremist group that has been increasingly brazen in its activities.
"ISIS continues to pose a military threat to the region as a whole and we need support from the coalition, including Germany of course,” said Iminiki, asking Berlin to continue its training program. The Peshmerga Ministry has not been officially advised by Germany about their intent to suspend training, and “We would be grateful if they continue to assist us in all fields," he added.
