US: Al-Zaidi must fulfill commitments to Trump
Shafaq News- Washington
Washington expects Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to fulfill the commitments he made to President Donald Trump during his visit to the United States last July, the US State Department said on Wednesday, accusing Iran of exploiting armed factions to plunder Iraq's resources and threaten its sovereignty.
A US State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News that "the United States expects Al-Zaidi to counter terrorism, prevent attacks in and from Iraqi territory, and build a US-Iraq partnership that serves both countries' interests."
"Our goal remains unchanged: a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Iraq that delivers for its people and strengthens the region," the spokesperson added, stressing that Iran has no constructive role to play in this effort. “It is an untrustworthy actor with a long history of using Iraqi militias to steal resources from the Iraqi people and threaten Iraq's sovereignty."
The US position followed growing American pressure on Baghdad to tighten controls at border crossings with Iran, amid concerns that they could be used to transport equipment and materials that may reach armed groups.
On Wednesday morning, Iraqi authorities closed the Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran in Maysan province until further notice, following directives issued from Baghdad, a source in the provincial council told Shafaq News on Tuesday evening. The source attributed the measure to technical reasons but did not clarify their nature.
Read more:Iraq's second US troop withdrawal shifts the test to armed factions
The latest security understandings between Baghdad and Washington date back to Al-Zaidi's visit to the White House on July 14, when he met with President Trump. The issue of armed factions and preventing attacks launched from Iraqi territory topped the discussions between the two sides, alongside the future of security and economic cooperation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reiterated the need to dismantle armed militias, prevent attacks originating from Iraq, and strengthen the state's sovereignty over its territory during his meeting with Al-Zaidi on September 21.
Read more:How Iran’s ‘unity of fronts’ strategy is changing across the Middle East
