US official: Defense relations part of US-Iraq talks in Washington next week

(Patria) - Security and defense relations between the United States and Iraq will be an important part of the talks when Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visits Washington next week, but that is not the primary focus of the visit, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said the emphasis of al-Sudani's visit will be on economic ties, even as Washington and Baghdad negotiate an end to the US-led military coalition in the country, Reuters reported.

US forces and Shiite armed groups have engaged in attacks in recent months amid a regional conflict linked to Israel's war in Gaza, leading al-Sudani to announce in January his intention to end the US military presence.

The senior State Department official said defense and security relations will be part of the talks during al-Sudani's visit, when he will meet with President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"That will likely be a very important part of our discussion," the official said. "It is not the primary focus of the visit... but it will almost certainly come up."

Instead, the focus of the visit will be on the economy and issues including education, the environment, and US support for development, the official said, without providing details.

"We will have a whole range of discussions about our relationship and where it is going," the official said.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein and withdrew in 2011, only for troops to return in 2014 to help fight the Islamic State (IS) after the group seized large parts of the country.

Washington and Baghdad began talks in January to reassess the presence of the US-led military coalition.

The official said those talks will likely lead to a second joint dialogue on security cooperation later this year.