Politics

U.S. Secretary of State Speaks with Iraqi PM, as Iranian-Israeli Tensions Escalate

“The Secretary emphasized the importance of all parties taking steps to calm regional tensions, avoid further escalation, and advance stability,” Miller said.

Laurie Mylroie 2024/08/05 11:42

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R). (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Iraq Blinken and Sudani Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi Acting Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – As expectations of an Iranian attack on Israel grow, Washington is seeking to defuse tensions, perhaps, even in the extreme, prevent Iran from retaliating against Israel for its recent assassination of senior figures in Hizbollah and Hamas, the latter on Iranian soil. And if the U.S. cannot prevent an attack altogether, then limit its scope.

At the same time, the U.S. has boosted its forces in the region to help defend Israel against Iran’s expected attack and protect its own forces, as well as international shipping, from attacks by Tehran’s proxies.

The discussion between Blinken and Sudani occurred on the same day that Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi paid a rare visit to Tehran where he met with Acting Foreign Minister, Bagheri Kani, and the newly inaugurated president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to whom he delivered a message from Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Safadi’s trip was the first visit to Iran by a senior Jordanian official in over 20 years. He sought to dissuade Iran from retaliating, but was unsuccessful, as The Wall Street Journal reported.

Antony Blinken Discussion with Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Among U.S. attempts to contain the scope of any conflict between Iran and Israel, would be a serious effort to urge the Iraqi government to control the pro-Iranian militias and prevent them from attacking bases in Iraq and Syria that host U.S. forces.

One imagines it was the primary reason that the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, called Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday. However, that was not entirely evident from the U.S. readout of their discussion.

According to a summary released by State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken and Sudani discussed three topics.

“The Secretary emphasized the importance of all parties taking steps to calm regional tensions, avoid further escalation, and advance stability,” was the first topic that Miller mentioned in his summary statement.

In addition, Miller said, “The Secretary underscored the U.S. commitment to the Higher Military Commission process to determine how and when the D-ISIS {Defeat-ISIS] Coalition’s military mission in Iraq will transition and the importance of force protection as we work toward that mission.”

The first two parts of their discussion would have included a strong appeal from Blinken to Sudani to control the pro-Iranian militias, even as their conversation also included the future of U.S.-Iraq security ties.

Since Sudani took office in October 2022, he has sought to normalize Iraq’s situation. After all, the D-ISIS Coalition has been in Iraq for ten years. One might think that in that decade, ISIS would have been defeated.

But ISIS is not defeated, and many serious problems which it created remain. They include the plight of the Yezidis, 70% of whom remain displaced, many living in refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region.

Miller’s summary of their discussion concluded with the statement that Blinken had “affirmed that we remain committed to the U.S.-Iraq 360 degree relationship to build economic opportunities and prosperity for all Iraqis.”