Iraqi commander of the Badr militia, Hadi al-Ameri (R), stands in the Al-Alam area, north of Baghdad, on March 22, 2015 as he talks to the media about the ongoing fighting between Iraqi government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group for the control of the nearby city of Tikrit. Ameri said that Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top officer responsible for foreign operations, provides assistance in Iraq "whenever we need him". "Qassem Soleimani is here whenever we need him," added Ameri, whose Badr militia is a powerful Iranian-backed force in the fight against IS. AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)
