Baghdad Seeking ‘Arrangements’ to End Deployment of Int’l Coalition

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attend a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, December 28, 2023. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attend a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, December 28, 2023. (Reuters)
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Baghdad Seeking ‘Arrangements’ to End Deployment of Int’l Coalition

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attend a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, December 28, 2023. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attend a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, December 28, 2023. (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani declared on Thursday that his country was seeking to “arrange its relationship” with the international coalition fighting ISIS in order to end its deployment on its territories.

He explained that so long as the Iraqi forces are “capable and empowered” there was no longer need for the international troops.

Sudani received in Baghdad his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, who stressed his country’s commitment to the stability and sovereignty of Iraq.

Sanchez had arrived in Baghdad late on Wednesday for a short official visit. He met Spanish forces deployed at a base in the capital’s fortified Green Zone and thanked them for their “sacrifices in the name of international security and stability.”

Sudani reiterated his government and political forces’ rejection of attacks against the international coalition’s bases in Iraq, while stressing their commitment to the legal authorization granted to them by Baghdad.

The authorization allows them to support the security forces in training and offering consultations.

Sudani stated that the Iraqi government was committed and capable of performing its duties in protecting diplomatic missions and security consultants.

For his part, Sanchez said his country’s commitment to Iraq is demonstrated through the deployment of Spanish forces in the country.

He vowed that Spain will always support the unity, sovereignty and stability of Iraq.



Israeli Forces Storm Major West Bank City of Nablus

Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Forces Storm Major West Bank City of Nablus

Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)

Israel launched a large-scale military operation on Tuesday in the old city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, AFP journalists reported, with the army reporting injured troops and two Palestinians "eliminated".

Dozens of military vehicles entered the city shortly after midnight, an AFP journalist reported, after a curfew had been announced over loudspeakers the day before.

Military operations are focused on the old city, a densely populated area bordering a large downtown square where young men and boys gathered to burn tires and throw stones at armored vehicles.

The Israeli army said that one soldier was "moderately injured" and three others "lightly injured" when two Palestinians attempted to steal a soldier's weapon.

Troops opened fire and "eliminated" both Palestinians, the army said in a statement, using a term the military often uses when killing gunmen.

AFPTV footage showed Israeli soldiers standing in one of the old city's narrow streets, next to the bodies of two civilians.

Neither Palestinian medics nor the Israeli army confirmed the two deaths.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Tuesday that three people were injured from bullet shrapnel, four from "physical assaults", and dozens more from tear gas inhalation.

It added that many injuries had to be handled within the old city after its ambulances were blocked from entering.

Nablus is located in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

The territory's north has been the target of a major Israeli military operation dubbed "Iron Wall" since January 21.

On Tuesday, Israeli soldiers entered shops to search them and arrested several people for questioning, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

The correspondent added that Israeli flags were raised over the roofs of buildings in the Old City that had been turned into temporary bases for Israeli troops.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas on Israel.

At least 938 Palestinians, including fighters but also many civilians, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to data from the Palestinian Authority.

During the same period, least 35 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids, according to official Israeli figures.