Official: Fuad Hussein and Qassem al-Araji in the Iraqi delegation to Washington 

Shafaq News/ Shafaq News Agency obtained an official roster of the members of the Iraqi delegation heading to Washington next week.

According to the document issued by PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi's office, the delegation will stay in the U.S. capital for two days to resume the rounds of the Strategic Dialogue.

The delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein, National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji, and head of the National Commission for Investment Soha Daoud, along with a group of undersecretaries and senior military officials.

United States President Joe Biden will welcome Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to the White House on July 26, his office has announced.

The meeting will “highlight the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq”, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden “also looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Iraq on political, economic and security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat” of ISIS.

The meeting will take place against the backdrop of growing concerns among US officials about more frequent attacks against the US targets in Iraq and Syria.

There have been at least eight drone attacks targeting the US presence since Biden took office in January, as well as 17 rocket attacks.

The Biden administration has responded by twice targeting Iraqi armed groups operating inside Syria, including one close to the Iraq border.

Iraq has long been an arena for a bitter rivalry between the US and Iran despite their shared enmity towards ISIS. 

Baghdad’s relationship with Washington has been complicated since the US assassinated the last year Iranian top General Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport. The drone strike on January 3, 2020, was ordered by then-President Donald Trump.