Iraq: Prime minister seeks closer US ties while keeping armed groups at bay

Source: SFGate

“The prime minister of Iraq has kept his country on the sidelines as military conflicts raged nearby for almost two years. This required balancing Iraq’s relations with two countries vital to his power and enemies with each other: the U.S. and Iran. The feat became especially difficult last month when war broke out between Israel, a U.S. ally, and Iran — and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said he used a mix of political and military pressure to stop armed groups aligned with Iran from entering the fray. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Al-Sudani discussed those efforts along with his intentions of keeping those groups in check going forward and — as he seeks a second term — why he wants to get closer to the Trump administration, even as he maintains strong ties to Iran-backed political parties that helped propel him to power in 2022.” (07/29/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/iraq-s-prime-minister-seeks-closer-us-ties-while-20791047.php