US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani yesterday.
According to a statement from the US Department of State, Blinken and Sudani discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the "war in Gaza" and secure the release of all hostages.
In the meeting, where diplomatic efforts to reach a solution that would allow citizens on both sides of the Lebanon border to return to their homes were also discussed, Blinken called on the Iraqi government to fulfill its commitments to protect US personnel and to pursue those responsible for attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria, including attacks by Iran-aligned militias originating from Iraq.
The Department's statement further noted, “The Secretary emphasized the importance of Iraq not being drawn into regional conflicts and underscored that Iraq must establish control over armed groups launching unauthorized attacks from its territory.
The Secretary and the Prime Minister committed to continuing consultations on regional issues and advancing the US-Iraq strategic partnership,” the statement said.
News Source: AA
