The Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken the necessity of returning to dialogue and the negotiation table to discuss the future of the international military coalition led by the United States in Iraq.
The talks between the two countries began in January, but less than 24 hours later, three American soldiers were killed in an attack on the Syrian-Jordanian border, leading to the suspension of the talks since then.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry’s statement mentioned that Hussein emphasized during his call with Blinken the Iraqi government’s rejection of such attacks and informed him that “Iraq is not a battleground for settling scores between conflicting countries.”
The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq providing advice and assistance to local forces to prevent the return of the terrorist organization ISIS, which in 2014 seized large parts of Iraq and Syria before being defeated.
After the withdrawal, Iraq is keen on establishing bilateral relations with coalition members, including military cooperation in training and equipment.
Hussein officially requested the U.S. Treasury Department to reconsider the sanctions imposed on several Iraqi banks and questioned whether those sanctions were imposed due to compliance issues or “for other political reasons.”
The U.S.-led coalition, formed in 2014, was initially tasked with fighting the Islamic State group that had taken control of large areas in Iraq and Syria. Currently, there are about 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, focusing on advising and assisting local forces to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. However, the presence and actions of the coalition have been increasingly viewed as a factor of instability by Iraqi authorities, especially following deadly strikes on Iran-backed groups.
Recent reports indicate that repeated U.S. strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have prompted the Iraqi government to consider ending the mission of the U.S.-led coalition in the country. Baghdad and Washington have agreed to establish a committee to start discussions on the future of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, aiming to set a timetable for a phased withdrawal of troops
