PM Sudani says Iraq working on reducing regional tensions
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani says his country is working on reducing regional tensions and promoting peace and stability.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chairs the first round of the negotiations between Iraq and the United States to end the International Coalition mission in Baghdad, Iraq, January 27, 2024 (AP)
In a meeting with Iran's Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani reiterated his country's dedication to fostering calm and stability in the region.
During the discussions held in Baghdad on Monday, Prime Minister al-Sudani emphasized Iraq's ongoing efforts towards achieving regional tranquility. The meeting took place amidst heightened tensions resulting from recent US strikes on Iraq as well as the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Al-Sudani highlighted Iraq's significant contributions to preserving stability, underscoring the nation's commitment to actions that serve the collective interests of the diverse populations in the region.
"Iraq has made and continues to make substantial efforts to maintain stability and achieve calm, aligning with the common good of the various peoples in the region," stated the Prime Minister.
The discussions also touched upon Iraq's commitment to the principle of good neighborliness and its efforts to establish robust relations with regional and global nations. Al-Sudani affirmed that while Iraq prioritizes positive relations, it remains steadfast in upholding its sovereignty and ensuring national security.
"The Iraqi government is keen on fostering good relations with neighboring countries and the international community. However, this commitment will not come at the expense of Iraq's sovereignty and security," al-Sudani underlined.
US causing instability
Following the United States' wide aggression on areas in Iraq and Syria late Saturday, the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament said that the US-led coalition forces present in the country are "destabilizing the situation," and called on the government to expedite the reaching of an agreement on their withdrawal.
Earlier in the week, a drone attack targeted a US base which was alleged by Washington to be in northeast Jordan, killing three US soldiers.
Read more: Source: US strikes to have 'grave consequences on US forces in region'
According to CENTCOM, US forces struck more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria with numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers that were said to have taken off from the United States.
In Syria, the attacks led to the killing of several civilians and soldiers, injuring others, as well as causing significant material damage, as per a Syrian military statement.
Meanwhile, the strikes in Iraq resulted in the martyrdom of 16 people, including Iraqi soldiers and civilians.
Defense Committee: Government must protect PMF
The parliamentary committee slammed the attacks as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty and said they weaken security cooperation between Baghdad and Washington.
"The Committee calls on the Iraqi government to assume its responsibility to protect fighters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, one of the formations of the Iraqi armed forces, by submitting a formal complaint with the UN Security Council and accelerating the process of reaching an agreement on the withdrawal of US and international coalition troops from Iraq. Their presence in Iraq is destabilizing the situation," it said in a statement.
Read more: US forces must leave, one way or another: Iraqi MP to Al Mayadeen
President Joe Biden claimed in the wake of the attacks that the United States was not after a war in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.
But Iraqi Resistance groups earlier affirmed that an US attack would not prevent the factions from supporting Gaza, now facing an ongoing US-sponsored Israeli genocide, vowing that any aggression would not go unanswered.
Directly following the US attacks, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced the targeting of the Harir US base with drones in Erbil, declaring that the operation comes in "continuation of our path in resisting the American occupation forces in Iraq and the region, and in response to the massacres committed by the zionist entity against our people in Gaza."
Read more: Iraq's al-Nujaba declares operations against US forces to continue
The Resistance's ongoing operations and statements signaled an expected escalation in operations against US bases and forces in Iraq and Syria, raising fears that the Israeli occupation is further dragging Washington into a wider war in the region with unknown repercussions.
