Iraq is trying to ensure that its country is not drawn into the conflicts between Israel and Iran.
In a phone call with the winner of the US presidential election, the Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shija Sudani, Donald Trump, expressed the hope that the newly elected president would keep his promises and “work to end wars” in the Middle East. This was stated by the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister on the night of Saturday, writes TASR based on a report by the AFP agency.
“Both parties agreed to coordinate efforts to achieve this goal,” Sudan’s office informed.
At a time of conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah movements, Iraq’s prime minister is trying to ensure his country is not drawn into the fighting.
2,500 American soldiers are stationed in Iraq
About 2,500 American soldiers are currently stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition created to fight the terrorist organization Islamic State. In the past period, the bases where American troops operate have been the target of several missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq, which have also claimed to attack Israel.
For years, Baghdad has asked Washington to establish a clear timetable for the withdrawal of the remaining coalition troops from the country, AFP recalls.
The US and Iraq announced at the end of September that the international coalition would end its mission in Iraq within the year. However, the countries did not specify in the joint statement whether any US troops would remain in the country.
During Trump’s first term, relations between the two countries deteriorated after a US drone strike near Baghdad in 2020 killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Abu Mahdi Muhandis, an influential member of the Iraqi Shia militia Hashd Shaabi, also lost his life in the given attack. In this context, the Iraqi court issued an arrest warrant for Trump in January 2021.
