US Secretary Blinken urges Iraqi PM to block potential Iranian arms transit to Syria: Bloomberg
The high-level diplomatic meeting came as part of Blinken's wider regional tour, which involved stops in Turkey and other Middle Eastern nations amid continued regional tensions and developments.
Dec. 14, 2024
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - According to a report by Bloomberg, on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a sudden and unannounced visit to Baghdad, where he held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
As the report by Bloomberg suggests, the meeting discussed regional security concerns, predominantly concentrating on blocking possible Iranian arms shipments from Iraq to Syria.
Bloomberg wrote that during the meeting, Blinken had requested Iraqi cooperation in barring any future efforts by Iran to transport weapons or military equipment through Iraqi territory into Syria.
The report also explained that the US officials observed that no such activities are currently taking place.
The high-level diplomatic meeting came as part of Blinken's wider regional tour, which involved stops in Turkey and other Middle Eastern nations amid continued regional tensions and developments.
The US Secretary of State highlighted that Syria is currently undergoing a fragile situation and, as Bloomberg underscored in the report, he emphasized the significance of averting any arms transfers that could possibly benefit Iran-backed militia groups or destabilize the war-torn country even more.
The Bloomberg article also highlighted that the US officials who accompanied Blinken noticed that Iran's regional influence looks as if it has diminished drastically following its recent confrontation with Israel.
Moreover, Blinken advised Prime Minister al-Sudani to take pivotal action against Iran-backed Shiite militia groups operating within Iraq that have formerly conducted attacks against US forces stationed in the country.
Iraq has confronted challenges in balancing its relationships with both the United States and neighboring Iran.
There are about 2,500 US troops as part of the international coalition against ISIS in Iraq.
Recent years have witnessed sporadic tensions intensify when Iran-backed militias, some of which are part of Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), have conducted attacks against US military installations as well as US-linked companies in the country.
The meeting also came at a decisive time when regional stability is being tested by several conflicts, including the ongoing Israel-Gaza and Lebanon conflicts, and tensions between Iran and Israel.
All that has made Iraq's role as a strategic partner in preserving regional security ever more vital.