President Biden is set to host Iraq’s leader this week for talks after Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend. U.S. forces in Iraq were specifically credited with helping shoot down Iranian missiles that were intending to strike Israel.
Monday’s meeting between Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani is expected to address regional stability and the viability of keeping an American military presence in Iraq, through which portions of Iran’s Saturday drone and missile attack on Israel flew or were launched from.
According to U.S. officials, the meeting is also expected to include discussions of economic, trade, and energy issues. The U.S. leaders could also discuss future troop deployments. “It is not the primary focus of the visit … but it is almost certainly going to come up,” one senior U.S. official told The Associated Press.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that U.S. European Command destroyers supported U.S. forces. At the same time, they engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles and at least six ballistic missiles.
This included a U.S. Patriot battery in Irbil, Iraq, knocking down at least one Iranian ballistic missile, The Associated Press reported, citing American officials. The White House initially announced al-Sudani’s visit to Washington last month.
The leaders will “consult on a range of issues,” including the fight against the Islamic State and “ongoing Iraqi financial reforms to promote economic development and progress toward Iraq’s financial independence and modernization,” the White House said.
