Following US warning, Iraqi PM meets American diplomat
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met, on Sunday, with the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Iraq, Steven Fagin, discussing bilateral relations and reviewing key areas of cooperation across various sectors.
According to a statement delivered by al-Sudani's media office, the two sides also addressed regional developments and emphasized the importance of the international community taking direct steps to prevent the region from sliding into a cycle of conflict.
The meeting came a day after the US reiterated its concerns over the role of Iranian-backed armed groups operating under Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), calling on the Iraqi government to take stronger action to hold them accountable for illegal activity.
A US State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News that some elements within the PMF maintain ties to designated foreign terrorist organizations and are engaged in activities that Washington views as destabilizing to Iraq's security.
US officials have repeatedly raised alarms about several groups within or closely associated with the PMF that are subject to American terrorism designations or sanctions, such as Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, citing their links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and their involvement in attacks against US forces in Iraq.
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