PM Al-Sudani calls for enhanced cooperation with NATO post Global Coalition withdrawal

Shafaq News/ Prime Minister Mohammed Shi Al-Sudani received, on Thursday, the Commander of the NATO Mission in Iraq, Lieutenant General Lucas Schreurs, who recently assumed command of NATO Mission in Iraq.

According to the Prime Minister’s media office, the meeting discussed the security situation in the region and the NATO Mission's efforts and its cooperation with Iraqi security institutions in the fields of advisory, training, and intelligence coordination in tracking down remnants of ISIS terrorist gangs.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani emphasized the importance of developing bilateral cooperation with the NATO Mission in training and information coordination with the Iraqi armed forces, following ending the Global Coalition's mission in Iraq. "This cooperation is vital for enhancing security and contributing to the stability of the region."

Lieutenant General Schreurs, expressed his gratitude to the Iraqi government for its support for the NATO Mission and for providing the necessary facilities for its operations in Iraq, as per the statement.

Iraqi armed factions have issued a 40-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Al-Sudani, demanding a definitive plan for the withdrawal of US forces from the country, a political source revealed on Wednesday.

The ultimatum, conveyed by various armed groups, highlights mounting pressure on the Iraqi government to expedite the departure of American troops, whose presence has been a contentious issue since the US-led invasion in 2003.

"The factions have set a deadline until mid-July for the government to settle the issue of the US military presence," the source told Shafaq News Agency on condition of anonymity, adding that failure to comply would result in renewed military operations against American interests in Iraq and the region.

In early February, attacks by armed groups on US forces in Iraq and Syria had ceased temporarily following the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan by a drone strike, which prompted retaliatory airstrikes by the United States on Iraqi and Syrian targets.

Against the backdrop of these developments, a senior political source clarified to our agency that "several armed factions have instructed Al-Sudani and his government to provide a publicly announced and binding timetable for resolving this issue. Otherwise, military operations against US targets and interests will resume."

Earlier this year, Iraqi Kata'ib Hezbollah announced a halt to its operations against US forces "to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government," instructing its fighters to adopt a temporary defensive posture.

Armed Iraqi factions have periodically conducted attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Syria since late October 2023, spurred by the war in Gaza.