Iraq, Iran discuss withdrawal of US forces
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In a meeting between Iraqi and Iranian officials, Iraq has stated its determination to rid the country of foreign forces, while Iran commended its recent anti-"Israel" legislation.
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Acting Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Tasnim News)
On Wednesday, the Acting Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, received Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and his delegation, alongside several Iraqi officials.
In the meeting, Al-Mandalawi declared that "the upcoming weeks will witness the legislation of laws that would end US presence in Iraq", adding that the country is strong and does not need the protection of foreign forces.
He said that "the US attacks on Iraqi sites and officials violate international law and obstruct bilateral relations between the two countries", emphasizing the Iraqi Parliament's determination to remove foreign forces from Iraqi lands.
Addressing regional issues, Al-Mandalawi also called on Arab and Islamic parliaments to “enact laws to hold the Zionist entity and the countries that support it accountable, as well as criminalize relations with them.”
He also affirmed that the legislative authority is keen on improving relations with regional countries and believes in complementary cooperation with Iraqi executive and judiciary authorities.
On his part, Iran's Judiciary Chief affirmed that the Iraqi parliament is playing an exceptional role, and called Iraq's criminalization of normalization with "Israel" highly virtuous.
Moreover, he reiterated the Iraqi people's ability to determine their own country's policies and affairs, while encouraging the enhancement of bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq.
Read more: Iraq's al-Nujaba declares operations against US forces to continue
Talks to boot the US out
In late January, sources indicated that the United States and Iraq are on the verge of engaging in discussions regarding the future of the US forces in Iraq.
The talks, facilitated by a higher military commission formed last summer, will center on the next phase of the US-led international coalition, a US official told CNN.
The Iraqi Resistance's operations against the US forces have proven to be potent, with CNN reporting that the recent airstrikes launched by the US against local Resistance groups made the discussions more important.
It is noteworthy that the Resistance attacked US forces in Syria and Iraq in a bid to boot them out due to their support of the Israeli occupation in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
As the United States violated Iraq's sovereignty on numerous occasions, but more recently in attacks on PMF leaders, calls from the Iraqi government for the withdrawal of US troops have increased in response to these strikes.
