Latest news with #US-Iraqi
Shafaq News
13-04-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
US Lawmakers in Iraq to boost strategic alliance
Safaq News/ A high-level US congressional delegation met with both Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in Baghdad on Sunday, in a series of meetings focused on enhancing bilateral ties under the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement. In his meeting with the delegation, Prime Minister Al-Sudani reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to its strategic partnership with Washington, calling the relationship 'beneficial to both friendly peoples.' He welcomed ongoing dialogue aimed at regional de-escalation and emphasized that Iraq supports 'all efforts aimed at reducing tensions and establishing security and stability.' The Prime Minister noted that Iraq is steadily moving toward reforms and comprehensive development, including preparations for upcoming legislative elections, which he described as a reaffirmation of the country's democratic path. Separately, the delegation held talks with Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who stressed the importance of revitalizing the Strategic Framework Agreement, particularly in areas aimed at strengthening Iraq's economy and investing in non-oil sectors such as agriculture and industry. 'The Strategic Framework Agreement is the cornerstone of US-Iraqi relations,' Al-Mashhadani said, urging its implementation in a way that secures mutual interests. Al-Mashhadani also reiterated Iraq's firm position on supporting a ceasefire in Gaza and ending regional conflicts to promote peace and prosperity. The US delegation included Representatives Adam Smith (D), Michael Baumgartner (R), Sara Jacobs (D), George Whitesides (D), and Wesley Bell (D), accompanied by Acting US Ambassador Daniel Rubinstein and advisors from the House Armed Services Committee. The lawmakers praised Iraq's progress in development and reconstruction, describing Iraq as 'a key partner in the Middle East.' وفد من الكونغرس الأميركي يزور رئيس مجلس النواب ويؤكد على دعم الشراكة الاستراتيجية وتعزيز الاستقرار — مجلس النواب العراقي (@Parliament_iq) April 13, 2025
Asharq Al-Awsat
11-03-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Waltz, Al-Sudani Stress Commitment to Stable US-Iraqi Relations
Nearly one week after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received a phone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the PM spoke on Monday with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The joint statement issued by the Iraqi government following Rubio's call was inconsistent with the one issued by the US side, especially regarding Iran's 'malicious' activities, raising questions about Washington's policy toward Baghdad. But on Monday, the phone call between Waltz and the Iraqi PM revealed a different approach towards Iraq. Waltz said the pressure on Iran would escalate if it continued to develop its nuclear capabilities and support terrorism in the region, including Iraq. In a post on his X account, the US national security advisor expressed his concerns regarding the recent flooding in Baghdad and emphasized the importance of moving towards a win-win relationship based on mutual security interests and enhanced trade. Waltz noted that the decision to not renew the waiver of sanctions on Iranian electricity exports was consistent with Trump's 'maximum pressure' strategy on Iran, and that pressure on Tehran would increase if it continued to develop a nuclear weapons capability and support terrorism across the region. Waltz welcomed the Iraqi Prime Minister's efforts to achieve energy independence for Iraq, and encouraged the Baghdad government to welcome more western and US energy companies into Iraq's oil and gas sectors. The national security advisor urged the Iraqi government to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government to address remaining contract disputes and pay arrears owed to US energy companies, and also requested that the Iraqi government retain an investment coordinator to work with US companies seeking to invest and operate in Iraq. Waltz also thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to the bilateral US-Iraqi relationship, and emphasized the Trump administration's commitment to deepening energy and economic ties between the two countries to benefit both the American and Iraqi peoples. A statement from the Iraqi PM's media office said the two sides stressed the firm US support for Iraq's security and stability. Al-Sudani reiterated Iraq's commitment to expanding economic relations with the United States, encouraging American companies to invest in Iraq's growing market, the statement said. It added that Waltz encouraged Iraq to engage more with American companies and work to resolve obstacles facing US businesses operating in the country, including in the Kurdistan Region. 'Both sides also emphasized joint efforts to build a strong Iraq capable of self-reliance. The discussions covered resolving outstanding issues and the role of American companies in supporting Iraq's economic development,' the Iraqi PM office said. It added that the United States reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Iraq's energy independence and expressed readiness to cooperate in accelerating progress toward this goal. On security matters, Waltz reiterated the unwavering US commitment to Iraq's security and stability amid regional and international challenges. He also underscored the importance of continued cooperation to safeguard Iraq's sovereignty and long-term stability, especially given the current regional conditions, the statement said. Waltz also noted that the decision to end the waiver for Iranian-supplied electricity aligns with the maximum pressure policy, emphasizing the need for bilateral coordination to mitigate any potential impact on Iraq's stability. The call reaffirmed the strong partnership between Iraq and the US, with both sides expressing a shared vision for a secure, prosperous, and sovereign Iraq. On Saturday, Washington declined to renew a waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran without running afoul of sanctions. The decision means that the Iraqi government will be unable to continue to import gas from Iran for its power plants. The US Department of State said on Sunday the decision came as part of President Donald Trump's 'maximum pressure campaign' on Iran. Iraq was granted waivers in 2018, when Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran after Trump abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran negotiated under US President Barack Obama. After returning to the White House for a second term as US president in January, Trump has reinstated his policy of exerting 'maximum pressure' against Iran. 'On March 8, the US State Department did not renew the waiver granted to Iraq to purchase Iranian electricity,' a spokesperson for the US embassy in Baghdad told AFP, noting that this 'ensures that Iran will not be allowed any degree of economic or financial relief.' The spokesperson called on the Iraqi government to 'eliminate its dependence on Iranian energy sources as soon as possible.' The Baghdad government, which hopes to achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2028, said it had prepared "for all scenarios" regarding the waiver.
Shafaq News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
US lawmaker: Iraq's Al-Sudani complicit in Israeli Tsurkov kidnapping
Shafaq News/ The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is involved in the abduction of Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov, who has been missing for nearly two years, US Republican Congressman Ted Cruz said on Wednesday. "Iraqi PM does not understand the severity of the Elizabeth Tsurkov case,' Cruz wrote on X. 'It colors EVERYTHING about the US-Iraqi relationship. They're complicit in terrorists holding a Princeton student hostage, while demanding US taxpayer money and while misleading US officials.' The official also promised that the Trump administration and Congress would resolve the issue, calling for Tsurkov's immediate release. . @IraqiPMO does not understand the severity of the @elizrael case. It colors EVERYTHING about the US-Iraqi relationship. They're complicit in terrorists holding a Princeton student hostage, while demanding US taxpayer money and while misleading US will end… — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 26, 2025 Earlier, Adam Boehler, US Envoy for Hostages, urged Al-Sudani to release the girl, affirming that he 'has an opportunity RIGHT NOW to show the world why he should or should not be prime minister.' Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein noted, in January, that Tsurkov, a researcher at Princeton University, is being held by an Iraqi armed group and that Baghdad is working to secure her release. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Israeli abductee may be released soon in exchange for the release of eight Hezbollah members captured by Israel during the war on Lebanon.
Shafaq News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq braces for fallout as factions face potential terrorist designation
Shafaq News/ Iraq is nearing a new dilemma, marked by a request from several US Congress members to President Donald Trump to designate Iraqi factions as part of the US terrorism list. This crisis is fraught with complications, both in terms of US-Iraqi relations under Trump and the internal situation in Iraq. The issue of punishing the armed Iraqi factions "has shifted from media leaks and predictions to a reality," in a step that reflects "a significant change," according to Dr. Ihsan Al-Shammari, a professor of strategic and international studies at the University of Baghdad and director of the Political Thinking Center. In an interview with Shafaq News, Al-Shammari believes that the memorandum from Congress members represents a revival of a project proposed in 2022. Regarding the potential consequences, Al-Shammari predicts that all factions, their financial assets, economic fronts, and media networks, as well as those affiliated with them militarily and politically, will be "completely banned from any dealings." Al-Shammari rules out the possibility that the Iraqi government would abandon the factions, citing several reasons, the most notable being that "the factions are now the foundation of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's government." When Al-Sudani's government was formed, the factions described it as "the government of resistance and the government of factions." Al-Shammari points out that the government has emphasized that the issue of the factions is an Iraqi decision, and it has shown resistance to the idea of abandoning the armed factions and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Even if the government wanted to take such a step, Al-Shammari argues it would be unable to do so, as the Prime Minister 'lacks significant political support' in Parliament to back any request to dissolve the PMF or integrate the factions into the security apparatus, "as this is rejected by the Shiite majority controlling Parliament." He also notes that the Iraqi government "might try to buy time by proposing a merger project." However, he doubts that the United States would accept this, even if the factions were to announce a behavior change, pledging not to participate in what is known as the "resistance" and committing to state policies. He attributes this to the fact that the current focus, based on the sanctions list submitted to Congress, "includes the activities of these entities and the damage they caused to the United States, including attacks that led to American casualties." The academic expresses pessimism about finding a solution to the crisis. He believes the Iraqi government lacks the political tools to persuade the US about any plan, and it cannot abandon the factions. Therefore, with the eventual end of Al-Sudani's government, "it may be difficult for an acceptable plan to emerge, even if it is announced by Sudani or the armed factions." Dr. Salam Adel, director of the Information and Analysis Observatory, holds a different view. He believes the list is illegal, as it lacks legitimacy under US law, and "names are often added or removed based on political whims, sometimes accurately and other times incorrectly." In an interview with Shafaq News, Adel argues that labeling people defending their country as terrorists while ignoring others who are internationally recognized as terrorists shows that the list is neither legal nor accurate. "How can Hadi al-Amiri, who defends his country, be classified as a terrorist while Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of a state, is granted legitimacy?" Adel attributes this to what he describes as "American capriciousness" in global affairs. "Iraq has laws on dealing with terrorists, and according to Iraqi law, Hadi al-Amiri is not a terrorist," Adel asserts, dismissing the idea of dissolving the factions or abandoning them as "media nonsense." He argues that the factions are not a government entity that can be dissolved by a decision from the Cabinet or Parliament but rather a legitimate societal force defending the country from aggression, a fact the US understands well. Recently, US Congressman Joe Wilson posted on X, "I am honored to send this letter with ten other Congress members to the Secretary of State, requesting that Badr be classified as a terrorist organization along with all other Iranian-backed militias in Iraq," ending his post with "Trump will fix this!" Dr. Haitham Hadi Naaman, a political science professor at the University of Exeter, believes the primary objective of the United States is "to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear file." Naaman suggests that Trump wants to go down in history by achieving two goals: first, striking a deal with Iran, and second, establishing peace with Israel, noting that "achieving these two objectives will impact Iraq's reality." Naaman predicts that US pressure on Iraq will lead to "the political system having to reassert itself in a certain way," potentially causing political fragmentation within the system or a power struggle between factions. He envisions two possible scenarios for the political system: either aligning with Iran, which could lead to an economic conflict with the US and potential public unrest or splitting into two factions, one siding with Iran and the other with the US In either case, he is certain that "the political system in Iraq will be affected."
Shafaq News
31-01-2025
- Shafaq News
Iraqi forces destroy ISIS booby-trapped vehicle in Al-Anbar
Shafaq News/ A joint security force successfully located and neutralized an ISIS-rigged vehicle packed with explosives in Iraq's western Al-Anbar province, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) announced on Friday. According to the PMF, a unit from the 3rd Regiment of the 57th Brigade, in coordination with other security forces, discovered the vehicle, which contained multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) belonging to ISIS-affiliated militants. 'The discovery was made during a sweep and inspection operation within the designated area of responsibility. The forces found the booby-trapped vehicle buried beneath the rubble of a previously bombed house. It contained several IEDs and 12 gas cylinders primed for detonation.' Security personnel safely detonated the vehicle and dismantled the explosives following standard procedures, ensuring no casualties or damage. ISIS Presence in Al-Anbar ISIS established a stronghold in Al-Anbar during its early territorial expansion, seizing control of key cities, including Fallujah, Al-Qa'im, Al-Rutbah, and parts of Ramadi, between December 2013 and mid-2014. This control allowed the group to facilitate the movement of fighters and weapons between Iraq and Syria. Despite being militarily defeated, ISIS continues to pose a security threat in the region, relying on guerrilla tactics such as ambushes, bombings, and abductions. Al-Anbar's vast desert terrain and strategic location make it a key corridor for the group's smuggling operations and attacks. Counterterrorism efforts have intensified in recent years. In August 2024, a joint US-Iraqi raid in Al-Anbar targeted senior ISIS leaders, killing over 15 militants, including key commanders, and securing vital intelligence on the group's finances and operations. Additionally, Iraqi airstrikes that same month eliminated 14 suspected ISIS fighters, further weakening their presence in the province.
