Iraq Seeks Quick And Orderly Exit Of US Forces, Says Iraqi PM (image@mohamedshia)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that the country demands a quick and orderly exit of the US-led military forces from its soil. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani described the presence of US force in his country as destabilising, as the regional tensions stemmed from Gaza war is spreading. However, Iraq does not set deadline for the retreat of the US force from the country.

“There is a need to reorganise this relationship so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region”, said Sudani, during an interview with Reuters. He said let the retreat of the US force within a timeframe, which is soon as he does not want the “attacks keep happening”. The added that the regional tension could only end when Israel ends its war on Gaza. He said if the war is not ended, the conflict will be expanded to wider “sensitive region of the world that holds much of its energy supply”.

The Iraqi PM last month said that Iraq’s government is working on bringing an end to the presence of foreign troops from the US-led coalition in the country.  Mohammed Shia al-Sudani made this crucial announcement following a rise in attacks between the US military and Iran-backed Shiite militias. This includes air strikes on three militia bases in central Iraq. However Pentagon on Monday said that US had no plans to withdraw from Iraq.

Notably, the Iran-backed militias have been launching attacks against US troops in Iraq and neighbouring Syria with drones and missiles. According to Reuters, the US military in Iraq and Syria, which was deployed to avoid a resurgence of Islamic State militants, has already faced around 100 attacks in Syria and Iraq since the beginning of current Israel-Hamas war. The attacks were reported to be a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones.