عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraq’s Ruling Coalition to Discuss US Warnings

Leaders of the Coordination Framework during a periodic meeting in Baghdad (X)
Leaders of the Coordination Framework during a periodic meeting in Baghdad (X)
TT
20
TT

Iraq’s Ruling Coalition to Discuss US Warnings

Leaders of the Coordination Framework during a periodic meeting in Baghdad (X)
Leaders of the Coordination Framework during a periodic meeting in Baghdad (X)

Iraq’s ruling coalition is set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the implications of a recent phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Following the conversation, the US State Department released a statement urging Iraq to “limit Iran’s malign influence” and ensure its energy independence. Political sources in Baghdad suggest that leaders within the Coordination Framework, a coalition of pro-Iran factions, perceive Rubio’s remarks as a direct threat to Iraq’s political stability. Concerns are also rising over potential US sanctions targeting individuals, institutions, or banks.

Uday al-Khadran, a senior figure in the Coordination Framework, stated that Iraq has consistently worked to maintain neutrality in regional conflicts. He expected the coalition to convene an emergency meeting in the coming days to evaluate Washington’s warnings and strategize on avoiding potential sanctions.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio and Sudani agreed to maintain dialogue on regional developments.

In turn, David Schenker, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, remarked that Iraq’s role in US foreign policy is closely linked to former President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Speaking at the Erbil Forum, Schenker emphasized that Iraq is currently not a top priority for Washington.

On February 1, Trump signed a presidential memorandum reinstating the maximum pressure policy, aiming to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions and curb its regional influence. He also stressed the importance of preventing Iran from exploiting Iraq’s financial system.

For his part, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to maintaining balanced relations with both Washington and Tehran. He highlighted Iraq’s adherence to its security agreement with Iran while continuing strategic talks with the US.

Hussein revealed that Washington has pressured Baghdad to halt gas imports from Iran and consider additional measures to weaken Tehran’s influence.

He also noted that attacks by armed factions on coalition forces have ceased due to shifting regional dynamics, while acknowledging that disarming these groups remains a complex challenge that requires internal political dialogue.

The US maintains around 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against ISIS, alongside 1,000 additional troops from allied nations stationed at key bases such as Ain al-Asad and Harir in the Kurdistan region.

While Iraq had previously announced the conclusion of the coalition’s mission, Sudani has indicated that negotiations for a new security agreement with Washington are underway.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam led a high-level ministerial delegation to Syria on Monday for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the most significant diplomatic visit between the two countries since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December.

"My visit to Damascus today aims to open a new page in the history of relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, restoring trust, good neighborliness," Salam said in a statement on X.

At the center of discussions was implementing a March 28 agreement signed in Saudi Arabia by the Syrian and Lebanese defense ministers to demarcate land and sea borders and improve coordination on border security issues, Salam said in the statement.

The Lebanese-Syrian border witnessed deadly clashes earlier this year and years of unrest in the frontier regions, which have been plagued by weapons and illicit drug smuggling through illegal crossings.

During Monday’s meeting, Salam and Sharaa agreed to form a joint ministerial committee to oversee the implementation of the border agreement, close illegal crossings and suppress smuggling activity along the border.

The border area, especially near Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Syria’s Qusayr region, has long been a corridor for illicit trade, arms trafficking, and the movement of fighters — including Hezbollah fighters who backed the Assad government during Syria’s 14-year civil war.

Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in its recent war with Israel and since Assad's ousting, it lost several key smuggling routes it once relied on for weapons transfers.

Lebanon also pressed Syria to provide clarity on the fate of thousands of Lebanese nationals who were forcibly disappeared or imprisoned in Syrian jails in the 1980s and 1990s, during Syria’s nearly 30-year military presence in Lebanon. Human rights groups have long documented the lack of accountability and transparency regarding these cases, with families of the missing holding regular demonstrations in Beirut demanding answers.

Syrian officials for their part raised the issue of Syrian nationals detained in Lebanese prisons, Salam said. Many of the detainees were arrested for illegal entry or alleged involvement in militant activity. Rights advocates in both countries have criticized the lack of due process in many of these cases and the poor conditions inside detention facilities.

Lebanon pledged to hand over people implicated in crimes committed by the Assad government and security forces, many of whom are believed to have fled to Lebanon after the government’s collapse, if found on Lebanese soil, a ministerial source told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly comment.

In return, Lebanese officials requested the extradition of Syrians wanted in Lebanese courts for high-profile political assassinations, "most notably those involved in the bombing of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques, those convicted of assassinating President Bashir Gemayel, and other crimes for which the Assad regime is accused," Salam said.

For decades, Lebanon witnessed a long series of politically motivated assassinations targeting journalists, politicians and security officials, particularly those opposed to Syrian influence. The 2013 twin bombings of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques in Tripoli in northern Lebanon killed more than 40 people and intensified sectarian tensions already heightened by the spillover from the Syrian war.

Syria has never officially acknowledged involvement in any of Lebanon’s political assassinations.

Salam said he also pushed for renewed cooperation on the return of Syrian refugees.

Lebanese government officials estimate the country hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, of whom about 755,000 are officially registered with the UN refugee agency, or UNHCR, making it the country with the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.

While Lebanese authorities have long urged the international community to support large-scale repatriation efforts, human rights organizations have cautioned against forced returns, citing ongoing security concerns and a lack of guarantees in Syria.

Since the fall of Assad in December, an estimated 400,000 refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries, according to UNHCR, with about half of them coming from Lebanon, but many are hesitant to return because of the dire economic situation and fears of continuing instability in Syria.