An Iraqi government official reported on Monday that a high-ranking American official is about to visit Baghdad soon, and that preparations are underway for the visit, noting that the official will discuss the American presence in Iraq and the structuring of the relationship between the two countries.
The official told Shafaq News Agency, “Special preparations are now underway for a visit by a high-ranking American official to Baghdad in the coming period.”
The official pointed out that “the file of the American presence in Iraq will be discussed in parallel with adjusting the rhythms of the region, in line with the recent changes in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.”
He said, “The American official will discuss the mechanism for restructuring the relationship between the United States of America, in addition to understandings in the areas of security and defense, along with files related to the US Federal Reserve.”
It is noteworthy that Baghdad and Washington announced months ago an agreement stipulating the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces by September 2025.
(Yes, did you read the above paragraph. What did it say? It said and I quote- “The American official will discuss the mechanism for restructuring the relationship between the United States of America”. The US needs to get out of this stagnation of the Obama/Biden administration era policies towards Iraq. Will it be any better under Trump? How can it get worst?)
The Washington Post quoted an Iraqi official as saying that he expected Iraq to request an extension of the stay of US forces, in light of the recent developments in the region following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Since mid-October 2023, armed factions began targeting American bases in Iraq, coinciding with the Gaza War, as the factions announced that their targeting of American forces was in response to American support for Israel.
The previous escalation between the armed factions and America witnessed military responses from Washington, the latest of which was the bombing of the city of Al-Qaim, adjacent to the Syrian border. The US Central Command confirmed at the time that its forces launched air strikes in Iraq and Syria targeting sites of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated faction groups. The command said that the US military forces struck more than 85 targets with many aircraft, including long-range bombers, launched from the United States.
The American responses to the targeting of the armed factions also included assassinations of leaders of those factions in the center of the capital, Baghdad, using guided and accurate missiles.
