Iraq’s deputy prime minister calls for regional restraint

Iraq called on all parties to show restraint amid soaring tensions between neighboring Iran and Israel, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim said on Monday, as talks on the complex US-Iraq relationship began in Washington.

The meetings come as Israel weighs its response to Iran’s missile and drone attack, with the US and Europe urging restraint. Tamim, who co-chaired a meeting of the US-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Iraq was concerned about its region being “dragged into a wider war that will threaten international security and safety.” “Therefore, we call on all parties to exercise self-restraint and respect the rules of diplomatic work and international laws,” he said.

Iraq is a rare ally of both Washington and Tehran. Iraqi airspace was a main route for Iran’s unprecedented drone and ballistic missile attack on Israel, and Iraqi officials say Iran informed them, as well as other countries in the region, ahead of the attack.

A delegation led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani planned to meet officials across Washington on Monday, including President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The US and other Western officials have welcomed economic reform plans put forward by Al-Sudani, but concerns remain over the influence of Iran-backed groups. Shiite Muslim armed groups have engaged in tit-fortat attacks on US forces linked to Israel’s war in Gaza.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein and withdrew in 2011, only for troops to return in 2014 to help fight Daesh after the extremist group overran large parts of the country.