Iraq and US Need to Return to Dialogue Over Future of Coalition Force, Says Iraq FM 

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein addresses journalists during a joint news conference with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein addresses journalists during a joint news conference with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
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Iraq and US Need to Return to Dialogue Over Future of Coalition Force, Says Iraq FM 

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein addresses journalists during a joint news conference with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein addresses journalists during a joint news conference with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, in a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, stressed the need to return to the negotiating table over the future of the US-led international military coalition in Iraq, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Talks between the two countries began in January, but less than 24 hours later three US service members were killed in an attack near the Syrian-Jordanian border that the United States said was carried out by Iran-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq. The talks have since paused then.

The US military launched airstrikes on Friday in both Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, in retaliation for the attack in Jordan.

Hussein stressed to Blinken the Iraqi government's rejection of such attacks saying that "Iraq is not an arena for settling scores between rival countries."

The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces to prevent a resurgence of ISIS, which in 2014 seized large parts of Iraq and Syria before being defeated. Hundreds of troops from mostly European countries are also part of the coalition.

Iraq's government says ISIS is defeated and the coalition's job is over, however, a US withdrawal would likely increase concern in Washington about the influence of arch foe Iran over Iraq's ruling elite.

Iraq is keen to explore establishing bilateral relations with coalition members, including military cooperation in training and equipment.

Hussein formally demanded the US Treasury Department reconsider the sanctions it had imposed on several Iraqi banks, asking whether those sanctions were put in place over compliance issues or "other political reasons."

In July, Washington barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown on the illicit use of dollars.



Israel Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.  (Photo by AFP)
A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)
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Israel Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.  (Photo by AFP)
A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)

The Israeli army carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, called Dahiyeh, again on Saturday.

It warned residents in parts of the suburbs that they were residing near Hezbollah facilities, which the army would target in the near future.

The warning, posted on X, told people to evacuate at least 500 meters away.

The army said that over the past day it had conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. It said it hit several command centers and weapons storage facilities.