Iraq’s desert sands, which the boots of United States’ soldiers will not tread, may soon be quivering under the stomp of Iranian soldiers, as Iran and Iraq strengthen military cooperation.

In an obvious gesture of close friendship, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi visited Iran on October 21 during his first foreign trip since his appointment in August. The chief agenda of the visit was to discuss his country’s war against Islamic State militants. “Choosing Iran as my first destination after taking office indicates the depth of ties,” Abadi said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (irna). “Terrorism is a threat to all regional countries, and we are sure Iran will stand by us.”

Prior to his visit to Iran, Abadi insisted, “We don’t need foreign combat troops. And there is no country in the world which would be willing to fight here and give you back your land even if they were asked to.”

Iran, however, appears willing to intervene. Three days prior to the visit, former military commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Kanani Moghadam said in an interview with China Central Television, “It is up to Iran’s top leader to decide whether to dispatch Iranian troops at the request of Iraq. But Iran is ready to deploy ground troops at any time once Iraq requests for help in the fight against extremist groups.”

“Prime Minister Abadi and his government are likely to seek help from Iran to send ground troops to deal with challenges posed by extremist groups, especially in areas near the Iranian border and areas that are threatening the security of Iran,” Moghadam said.

Moghadam understands the stakes involved in lending support to its beleaguered neighbor: “The more aid to Iraq from Iran, the less dependent Iraq will be on allied forces. Iraq is likely to resist the allies’ request to build military bases in the country. Iraq’s parliament is discussing whether or not to allow the allies to deploy group troops, which has also become a red line. Therefore, the meeting of Abadi with the Iranian leaders is very important and decisive.”

Iran has on many occasions condemned the United States’ strategy in Iraq. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Abadi during his visit that U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq will not degrade Islamic State but will encourage it to recruit more militants and continue to exist.

In an nbc interview on September 17, Rouhani described the allied forces’ strategy against Islamic State as “ridiculous.” “Are Americans afraid of getting casualties on the ground in Iraq?” Rouhani asked. “Are they afraid of their soldiers being killed in the fight they claim is against terrorism?” The U.S.’s recent weapons airdrop that landed in the hands of Islamic State militants gives more credence to such taunts. Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, went as far as expressing “serious doubts” that the U.S. even wants to obliterate Islamic State.

Iran has already been providing weapons and training to Shiite and Kurdish militias in Iraq as well as to the Iraqi military. President Rouhani assured Prime Minister Abadi that Iran has supported its neighbor against terrorists “from the first day and will remain on that path until the last day.” Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri made a similar promise: “I assure you that the Islamic Republic of Iran will powerfully stay beside the great nation of Iraq, and victory will for sure be for that nation.”

Iran’s determination to aid Iraq increased this week as a spate of terrorist attacks devastated Shiite-majority neighborhoods and Shiite shrines in Iraq.

Iran is showing itself strong in the fight against Islamic State, and it’s taking full advantage of its opportunities in Iraq. In recent weeks, Iran established its poster child for military activities abroad: the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani. Secretive for years, he has recently emerged from the shadows to publicize Iran’s activities in Iraq. U.S. Gen. David Petraeus once described Suleimani as “a truly evil figure.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei once described him as “a living martyr.” Dina Esfandiary of the International Institute for Strategic Studies noted that this publicity is intended to “get across that Iran is very much present in Iraq and it is there to defend its interests.”

As we wrote in “The World’s Newest Most Radical ‘State,’” Iran is a master of inciting chaos and then implementing Iranian “solutions” to that chaos. Bible prophecy revealed millennia ago that Iraq would fall to Iran because Iran is the head of the prophesied king of the south. For secular and biblical proof, read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s 2003 article “Is Iraq About to Fall to Iran?”