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President Biden is ready to host Iraq’s leader this week for talks after Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend. U.S. forces in Iraq have been particularly credited with serving to shoot down Iranian missiles that have been intending to strike Israel.
Monday’s assembly between Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani is predicted to deal with regional stability and the viability of conserving an American navy presence in Iraq, by which parts of Iran’s Saturday drone and missile attack on Israel flew or have been launched from.
The assembly can be anticipated to embrace discussions of financial, commerce and power points, in accordance to U.S. officers.
The U.S. leaders may additionally talk about future U.S. troop deployments. “It is not the primary focus of the visit … but it is almost certainly going to come up,” one senior U.S. official advised The Associated Press.
US DESTROYED MORE THAN 80 DRONES, AT LEAST 6 BALLISTIC MISSILES FROM IRAN AND YEMEN
U.S. Central Command mentioned in a press release that U.S. European Command destroyers supported U.S. forces whereas they engaged and destroyed greater than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial autos and no less than six ballistic missiles.
This included a U.S. Patriot battery in Irbil, Iraq, pulling down no less than one Iranian ballistic missile, The Associated Press reported, citing American officers.
The White House initially introduced al-Sudani’s go to to Washington final month.
IRAN CLAIMS TO FOLLOW DRONE LAUNCH AT ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE
The leaders will “consult on a range of issues,” together with the battle towards the Islamic State and “ongoing Iraqi financial reforms to promote economic development and progress toward Iraq’s financial independence and modernization,” the White House mentioned.
The U.S. and Iraq started formal talks in January about ending the regional coalition initially created to assist the Iraqi authorities battle ISIS. Some 2,000 U.S. troops remained in the nation below an settlement with Baghdad.
The two nations have a fragile relationship due partly to Iran’s appreciable sway in Iraq, the place a coalition of Iran-backed teams introduced al-Sudani to energy in October 2022.
The U.S. in current months has urged Iraq to use its affect in Iran to assist forestall assaults on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria which have escalated in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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Iran’s attack on Israel additional underscored U.S. issues.
Al-Sudani got here to energy in late 2022. Since then, al-Sudani has tried to preserve a balancing act between Iran and America regardless of being seen as being shut to Tehran.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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