总统乔·拜登将会遇到伊拉克白宫周五表示,本月晚些时候,伊拉克总理穆斯塔法·卡希米将在华盛顿。
定于7月26日举行的会议正值美伊关系的关键时刻,人们越来越担心驻伊拉克美军遭受更频繁的袭击叙利亚。
自拜登今年1月上任以来,针对美国驻军的无人机袭击至少有8起,火箭袭击也有17起。
白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基说,拜登“还期待加强与伊拉克在政治、经济和安全问题上的双边合作,包括共同努力确保伊斯兰国激进组织的持久失败”。
对美军的袭击被归咎于伊朗支持的民兵组织,他们构成了伊拉克国家支持的人民动员部队的大部分。
拜登政府的回应是两次针对在叙利亚境内活动的伊拉克民兵组织,包括一次在伊拉克边境附近。
自去年美国无人机在巴格达国际机场袭击杀害伊朗远征军指挥官卡西姆·索莱马尼和伊拉克高级民兵指挥官阿布·马赫迪·穆罕迪斯以来,两国关系变得复杂。那次罢工是由时任总统下令的唐纳德·特朗普。
但随着拜登政府寻求恢复奥巴马时代与伊朗的核协议,有迹象表明,伊朗正寻求遏制(至少目前)民兵对美国的袭击。
据美联社上周报道,索莱马尼的继任者埃斯梅尔·加尼上个月呼吁伊朗支持的民兵组织保持冷静,直到伊朗和美国之间的核谈判结束。
Biden to meet with Iraqi prime minister at White House
PresidentJoe Bidenwill meet withIraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi later this month in Washington, the White House said Friday.
The meeting set for July 26 comes at a pivotal point in the U.S.-Iraq relationship, and amid growing concerns about more frequent attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq andSyria.
There have been at least eight drone attacks targeting the U.S. presence since Biden took office in January, as well as 17 rocket attacks.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden “also looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Iraq on political, economic and security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat" of the Islamic State militant group.
The attacks on U.S. forces have been blamed on the Iranian-backed militias that make up the bulk of Iraq’s state-supported Popular Mobilization Forces.
The Biden administration has responded by twice targeting Iraqi militia groups operating inside Syria, including one close to the Iraq border.
The relationship has been complicated since last year’s U.S. drone strike killing of Iran’s expeditionary Quds Force commander Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport. That strike was ordered by then-PresidentDonald Trump.
But with the Biden administration seeking to revive an Obama-era nuclear accord with Iran, there have been signs that Iran is looking to curb, at least for now, militia attacks on the U.S.
Soleimani’s successor Esmail Ghaani last month called on Iranian-backed militias to remain calm until after nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, The Associated Press reported last week.