Now Iraq is wondering if more tensions might develop. “The message contained a direct threat should these groups carry out any retaliatory actions in response to planned US operations in areas near Iraq in the coming days,” Ahsarq al-Awsat reported. “Two days after what seemed a clear signal of support for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who is contesting the elections amid intense internal disputes within the Shiite Coordination Framework, Baghdad received a sharply worded warning from US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, conveyed in a phone call to his Iraqi counterpart, Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi.”
Iraq concerned over rising tensions with US after Hegseth's call
Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Reuters
Reports are circulating about a phone call allegedly made between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his Iraqi counterpart. While many details of the call, or even its occurrence, remain unclear, the reports suggest that Iraq is currently on edge, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Arabic news outlet, Asharq al-Awsat, said that “two days after a US message reassured Baghdad about the future of bilateral relations, the Iraqi government appears to have received its sternest warning yet from the White House regarding armed factions.”
The warning to Baghdad comes just before Iraqi elections next week. It also comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also warned Iraq about the presence of Iranian-backed militias in the country. Iran backs militias within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces. These include up to 100,000 armed men in various militia groups.
Abbasi has spoken up about the call. It doesn’t appear that Hegseth or the Department of War has confirmed this on the US side. This is mostly an Iraqi tempest in a teapot at the moment. However, it shows how Iraq is on edge about US ties.
In September, Kataib Hezbollah freed Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov. She holds Israeli and Russian citizenship. The US had pressed to free her. Her sister in the US had campaigned fiercely for her release. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia, kidnapped Elizabeth in March 2023. As such, the role of the militias is in the US spotlight.
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