BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani will leave Baghdad on Saturday for the United States, where he will meet with the US president amid rising tensions in the region, his office announced. did.
US President Joe Biden will meet with Iraqi leaders on Monday to “align on shared priorities” and discuss the “evolving military mission” of the US-led anti-jihadist coalition in Iraq and Syria, according to the White House. It is said that
The visit came after Iran threatened to retaliate against a deadly attack blamed on Israel on its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. Biden said he expected the Iranian government to take action “sooner rather than later.”
A statement from al-Sudani's office said: “This official visit comes at a delicate and sensitive time in relations with the United States and in the context of the regional situation and ongoing crimes against innocent people in the Palestinian territories.” said.
The rising tensions come as Israel has been waging a six-month war against the Iranian-backed Palestinian Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip.
The conflict has since been joined by regional actors, including Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
“The meeting with President Biden will focus on joint efforts to prevent the escalation of conflicts that could affect global stability, and promote calm,” Al-Sudani's office said in a statement. We will discuss the issue and the current escalation,” he added.
After the outbreak of war in Gaza, Iranian-linked militants carried out numerous attacks across the region against U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East with anti-jihadist coalitions to support Palestinians.
Washington responded with several attacks on the faction.
However, peace has largely returned between the United States and Iraq, tensions have eased, and talks have resumed regarding the future of the anti-jihad coalition.
Iraqi officials have expressed hope that they will develop a timeline for reducing the U.S. military presence.
Al-Sudani's office added on Saturday that the aim of the talks was to establish “a timeline for ending the coalition's mission and transitioning to bilateral relations with the coalition's member states.”
A State Department official quoted on the website said the U.S. wants the talks to also focus on “energy, water, and business investment (U.S. companies' investments in Iraq), and we want the private sector and our country to move forward.” I would also like to discuss current banking reforms.” We are working”.
