ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday received a call from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to discuss the strategic partnership between Baghdad and Washington, the ongoing fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and the US’s latest military operations in Yemen. A statement by Sudani’s office noted that the two senior officials emphasized the need for “continued security cooperation within the framework of the Defeat-ISIS global coalition.” Sudani “affirmed Iraq’s commitment to protecting the global coalition’s advisors present in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government,” and “to restricting the use of force to the [Iraqi] state and promoting internal stability.” The statement added that the two sides also reviewed recent successes in targeting and killing senior ISIS commanders. Sudani had on Friday announced the killing of senior ISIS leader Abdullah Makki Muslih al-Rafiei, "one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world,” in an operation that was the culmination of two years of investigations and raids by Baghdad, Erbil and the international forces. Rafiei, known by his nom de guerre Abu Khadijah, was killed by a US airstrike in Iraq’s western Anbar province. “As the Emir of ISIS … Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directed a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization,” the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday. On Sunday as well, Sudani and Hegseth reviewed “regional security dynamics, particularly the situation in Syria” and “expressed their determination to prevent ISIS in Syria, from posing any threat” to the region, “after it managed to acquire new weapons and began reorganizing.” Sudani and Hegsweth also reviewed regional developments, including the US’s latest military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. The US Secretary of Defense noted that Washington would continue its operations unless attacks by the Houthis, also known as the Ansarullah, on its forces and their impact on Red Sea navigation cease. He emphasized that while the US “does not seek escalation,” operations would only end once the Houthis’ attacks stop. In a statement it posted on X, the US Central Command on Saturday announced “a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.”. On the same day, Trump stated that he had ordered the US military to launch a "decisive and powerful" strike against the Houthis, stating that “they have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft and drones." He added, “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective." The latest strikes come after the US State Department announced on Tuesday the designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) due to their “activities [which] threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East,” as well as “the safety of our [US’s] closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.” Ansarullah, a key member of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance," intensified attacks on Israeli commercial vessels or vessels affiliated with Israel in the Red Sea since October 2023, during the Israel-Hamas War. The Houthis claimed these attacks were intended to alleviate pressure on their Palestinian allies in Gaza. On Sunday, Sudani reiterated Iraq’s position, stressing that “de-escalation and dialogue are the most effective ways to address crises in a sensitive and vital region like the Middle East,” underscoring Iraq’s commitment to addressing regional challenges through diplomatic means.
