U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Friday to work with Iraq to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group (IS) following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria.
As part of a regional tour addressing the rapidly shifting dynamics in Syria, Blinken traveled from Ankara to Baghdad, where he held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Blinken emphasized the U.S. commitment to Iraq's sovereignty and security, saying, “We are dedicated to working with Iraq to strengthen and preserve its sovereignty.” He added, “This is also a moment for Iraq to reinforce its stability, security, and success.”
Blinken acknowledged Iraq’s unique understanding of the importance of stability in Syria and the threat posed by a potential IS resurgence. “We are determined to ensure Daesh does not re-emerge,” he said, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.
The U.S. Secretary of State highlighted the shared success of U.S. and Iraqi forces in dismantling IS’s territorial caliphate, which spanned large parts of Iraq and Syria at its height in 2014. IS was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017 and lost its final stronghold in Syria in 2019.
Iraq is particularly concerned about the risk of instability spreading from Syria, where Islamist-led rebels overthrew Assad’s five-decade regime last Sunday. In their meeting, Sudani emphasized the need for Syria’s transitional authorities to ensure broad representation among all components of Syrian society to foster stability.
Sudani also underscored Iraq’s expectation of “tangible actions, not just words” from Syria’s new leaders, stressing the importance of preventing aggression against Syrian territory by any party, according to a statement from his office.
Blinken praised Iraq’s progress, noting the visible construction boom in Baghdad as a sign of the country’s growing success.
U.S. Troops in Iraq and Syria
The United States currently maintains around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of ongoing efforts to prevent an IS resurgence. The Biden administration has agreed to end the coalition’s military presence in Iraq by September 2025, although a complete withdrawal is not planned.
Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq have repeatedly opposed the U.S. military presence, while President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, has expressed skepticism about U.S. troop deployments. On his Truth Social platform last Saturday, Trump called Syria “a mess” and stated, “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.”
Blinken has called for an inclusive political process in Syria to foster accountability and avoid the kind of sectarian conflict seen in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. In Baghdad, he reiterated the importance of creating a non-sectarian, inclusive government in Syria that safeguards minority rights and avoids becoming a platform for terrorism.
Regional Coordination
During his visit to Jordan on Thursday, Blinken said regional leaders had expressed broad agreement on the need for a unified approach to address shared challenges in Syria. However, key differences remain. Turkey opposes the U.S. partnership with Syrian Kurdish fighters, whom Ankara views as linked to Kurdish separatists within Turkey. Meanwhile, Israel continues to target Syrian military sites in an effort to curb Iranian influence in the region, particularly Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia allied with the Assad regime.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Friday to work with Iraq to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group (IS) following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria.As part of a regional tour addressing the rapidly shifting dynamics in Syria, Blinken traveled from Ankara to Baghdad, where he held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia...