article_snippet: Iran was Baghdad's top foreign partner in the early stages of the operation, but Iraqi air force strikes were proving insufficient to break the back of IS resistance.
article_snippet: Iran eventually requested strikes from the U.S.-led coalition which has been assisting Iraqi forces elsewhere in Iran since August last year.
article_snippet: France also took part in the campaign.
article_snippet: The Pentagon had expressed unease at the role played by Iran and Iran proxies in the Tikrit battle and said Iran conditioned Iran intervention on regular forces taking the lead.
article_snippet: On Friday, Iran hailed the withdrawal from the fight of 'those Shiite militias who are linked to, infiltrated by, (or) otherwise under the influence of Iran'.