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US Presence Dominates Strategic Baghdad-Washington Talks

An Iraqi soldier wears a protective face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as he stands guard during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
An Iraqi soldier wears a protective face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as he stands guard during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
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US Presence Dominates Strategic Baghdad-Washington Talks

An Iraqi soldier wears a protective face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as he stands guard during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
An Iraqi soldier wears a protective face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as he stands guard during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Four members of the US military were injured when a transport plane crashed into a wall Monday at Camp Taji north of Baghdad, the US-led International Coalition said.

“An Air Force C-130 Hercules had slipped out of a runway and struck a wall, damaging the aircraft and causing a fire onboard that was then put out by a response team,” it said in a statement.

The four military personnel have sustained “non-life threatening injuries” and were treated at Camp Taji’s medical facility, according to the coalition.

The aircraft involved was from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing based at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The plane’s crash comes on the eve of strategic talks between Baghdad and Washington on Wednesday amid strong Iraqi political divisions.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Monday with US Ambassador to Baghdad Matthew Tueller and confirmed the ministry's preparations for the start of the talks.

The first stage is expected to last for two days and mainly tackle the US military presence in Iraq.

Pro-Iran Shiite factions insist that the first item on the agenda of the talks be the withdrawal of American forces.

However, the government of Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi and other Sunni and Kurdish parties look forward to amending the strategic agreement that was signed between the two sides in 2008.

Head of the National al-Sanad bloc MP Ahmad al-Asadi said Parliament is working to form a committee to follow-up talks between Washington and Baghdad and to implement a legislative decision stipulating the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the country.

Some Shiite factions demand the full withdrawal of US troops as a condition for holding friendly relations with Washington. Other Iraqi Shiite armed factions, which are close to Iran, even reject any type of relations with the Americans.

“The strategic talks are very important for the new Iraqi government,” national security professor at Nahrain University Dr. Hussein Allawi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said that at this stage, talks should focus on finance, education, defense, the central bank, health and oil.

Given the contradictory Iraqi stances, “Kadhimi will be very cautious during the talks,” Allawi said.

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Arab World

Washington Signals Gradual, Sweeping Sanctions on Iraq

An Iraqi wades through rainwater flooding the streets of Baghdad on March 7, 2025 (AP)
An Iraqi wades through rainwater flooding the streets of Baghdad on March 7, 2025 (AP)
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Washington Signals Gradual, Sweeping Sanctions on Iraq

An Iraqi wades through rainwater flooding the streets of Baghdad on March 7, 2025 (AP)
An Iraqi wades through rainwater flooding the streets of Baghdad on March 7, 2025 (AP)

Two American diplomats have revealed that the US administration is preparing to impose “comprehensive, phased sanctions” on Iraqi individuals and entities linked to government institutions, political factions, and armed groups.

Speculation in Baghdad has been mounting over Washington’s new approach since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House and vowed to escalate pressure on Iran’s regional influence.

A US diplomat, speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, stated that a series of economic sanctions will be imposed on Iraqi groups under National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-2. Trump signed the directive on February 4, 2025, as part of his strategy to exert “maximum pressure on Iran and counter its malign influence.”

The diplomat confirmed that the sanctions will target individuals and entities accused of facilitating illicit trade, financial dealings, and resource transfers benefiting Iran. These could include government institutions, political organizations, or armed factions. The measures will extend to seemingly minor commercial activities, with US agencies monitoring a vast network of Iran-linked operations in Iraq. Even checkpoints controlled by Iranian-backed militias for tax collection could fall under sanction, the diplomat warned.

Crucially, the sanctions will not consider the official affiliations of those targeted—whether they operate under government cover, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or other armed factions. Washington’s approach, the diplomat said, aligns strictly with the parameters outlined in Trump’s directive.

One of the measures under review is reducing Iraq’s monthly cash transfers from its account at the US Federal Reserve, ensuring funds are only allocated for essential national needs and preventing any surplus from reaching Iranian-linked entities. However, the diplomat emphasized that this option depends on Baghdad’s adherence to financial reforms.

A second US diplomat, recently returned from Baghdad, stressed that the sanctions are not intended to destabilize Iraq’s political system but rather to dismantle Tehran’s economic influence. He expressed hope that the measures would empower Iraqis to assert greater independence in governance, though he acknowledged the risk of intensified power struggles among Iranian-linked factions as their financial resources dry up.

Iraqi officials have not responded to Asharq Al-Awsat’s requests for comment. The timing of the sanctions remains unclear, and some analysts believe Washington’s threats could be part of a broader strategy to pressure Iran into negotiations or push Iraqi leaders toward sweeping political changes.

Aqil Abbas, an expert on US affairs, warned that the planned sanctions are “serious” and could only be averted if Iran agrees to a diplomatic settlement, relinquishing both its nuclear ambitions and regional influence. “At best, the Trump administration seeks Iran’s voluntary withdrawal from its regional project,” he concluded.