Iran supports Iraq in ending US coalition presence

Iran has called on Iraq to end the presence of the US-led military coalition in the country, believing Baghdad is capable of ensuring its own security.

"The Iranian government has made its stance clear regarding Iraq and recent US moves," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on January 8. Iran believes Iraq has the necessary capacity, strength and authority to ensure security on its territory.

According to Mr. Kanani, Iran has repeatedly expressed its views to the governments of countries in the region, including Iraq, declaring that the presence of US forces in any form does not help efforts to maintain stability and peace .

Mr. Kanani's comments came after the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on January 5 expressed its desire to permanently end the presence of the US-led military coalition in the country, following the assassination of the leader of the pro-Iranian militia group Harakat al-Nujaba in Baghdad in December.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani at a press conference in Tehran on October 3, 2023. Photo: AFP

The US said the strike was in self-defense and did not cause civilian casualties or damage to surrounding infrastructure. The Iraqi government called it a "blatant violation" by the US-led coalition. The Iraqi prime minister's office is setting a date for the bilateral commission to begin work on Baghdad's wishes.

Meanwhile, US Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder said on January 8 that the Pentagon currently has no plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.

"We remain focused on our mission to destroy the Islamic State," Ryder said, adding that the US military presence in the region was at the invitation of the Iraqi government. He said he had not received any information indicating that the Iraqi government had sent a request to the US Department of Defense to withdraw troops.

US and allied forces have been deployed in Iraq since 2014 to hunt down remnants of IS. The US military has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of a multinational coalition. The force has been hit regularly since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in early October 2023. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an alliance of several pro-Iranian militias, has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.

Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP )

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