Pentagon caught surprised by Iraq's intelligence-sharing accord with Russia, Iran, Syria

The Pentagon said on Tuesday it was surprised and concerned after knowing that Iraq joined an intelligence sharing accord with Russia, Syria and Iran.

"We were caught by surprise that Iraq entered into this agreement with Syria and Iran and Russia," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work at a congressional hearing.

In its latest move to expand political and military influence in Syria, Russia announced on Sunday that it had reached an understanding with Iraq, Syria and Iran to share intelligence about the extremist group the Islamic State (IS).

"Obviously, we are not going to share intelligence with either Syria or Russia or Iran. So we are in the process of working to try to find out exactly what Iraq has said," Work told U.S. lawmakers.

"We're not going to provide any classified information to help those actors on the battlefield," he insisted.

Just like Russia's recent military buildup around Syria's coastal province Latakia, the accord was reached without notice to the United States.

Russia's latest move also cast doubts on relations between the United States and Iraq, a crucial U.S. ally in the fight against the IS.

Unlike NATO member Bulgaria, who under the U.S. pressure earlier this month closed its airspace to Russian flights to Syria, Iraq was still allowing Russia to use its airspace despite U.S. protests.

"We did not violate any of our commitments toward the international community," The New York Times cited Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari as saying on Friday. Enditem