Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi on Wednesday canceled his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, a government source told Shafaq News, hours after deadly US-Saudi airstrikes targeted the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) across seven Iraqi provinces.
Archiv: Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
CF leaders call government action after US-Saudi strikes
2026-07-29 12:28
Leaders of Iraq‘s Coordination Framework, on Wednesday, condemned the US-Saudi strikes on Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites in Iraq that killed 20 members and injured 32 others in seven provinces.
Former PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, head of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, considered the strikes âa breach of the principle of Islamic fraternity, and a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.â He questioned the timing of the strikes, saying they came after the Iraqi government had formed investigative committees to examine claims that drones had been launched from Iraqi territory toward Saudi oil facilities. That step, he said, showed Iraq was addressing the matter through legal and institutional channels rather than military escalation.
Al-Sudani said Iraq retained its legitimate rights under international law, including the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Iraq officials confirm second alleged Israeli base in desert
– U.S. reportedly knew of at least one Israeli base since June 2025 but likely withheld information from Iraq.
– Iraq was compelled to shut down its radar to protect U.S. aircraft during both the 12-day war and the 2026 conflict.
– The concealment of Israeli operations intensified scrutiny over Iraqâs sovereignty and coalition transparency.
– Iraqi political figures called for full transparency and stronger oversight mechanisms to prevent foreign intrusion.
The secret Israeli bases scandal roiling Iraqi politics
In a deeply embarrassing development for Baghdad, Israel established two forward-operating bases (FOBs) for supporting air campaigns against Iran on federal Iraqi territory in a flagrant violation of Iraqâs already fragile sovereignty.
The Wall Street Journal reported the first baseâs existence, in the barren Nukhaib desert southwest of the Shia shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, on 9 May. The New York Times further revealed Sunday that Israel also set up a second base somewhere else in the countryâs western desert regions that it operated for over a year and even used during the June 2025 12-day war.
Israel‘s secret base in Iraq: what happened in the western desert and why Baghdad couldn‘t respond
(May 16, 2026)
The physical record is not seriously in dispute, and it begins with a shepherd. On March 4, a local herder in the remote desert southwest of Najaf and Karbala reported unusual helicopter activity to military authorities in Najaf. Iraqi forces were dispatched. They came under fire from the air. One soldier was killed, and two were wounded. Baghdad submitted a protest note to the Global Coalition without naming who had fired, and the incident was quietly classified âuntil the Wall Street Journal named the party responsible on May 9.
Regime change in Syria has Iraqi factions backtracking on push for US withdrawal
(January 31, 2025)
The U.S. and Iraq announced an agreement last year to wind down the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, with U.S. forces departing some bases where they have stationed troops during a two-decade-long military presence in the country. (…)
But the fall of Assad in a lightning offensive led by Sunni Islamist rebels in December led some to reassess that stance, including members of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-allied political parties that brought current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to power in late 2022.
PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani rejects Israeli ‚threats‘ to expand war against Iraq
Iraqâs Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani blasted Israeli âefforts to expand the warâ in West Asia on 19 November, after Israelâs foreign minister sent a letter to the UN Security Council urging action against the Iraqi resistance and stressing Tel Avivâs right to âprotect itself.â
In a cabinet session on Tuesday, Sudani said that âthe message sent by the Zionist entity to the UN Security Council represents a pretext and argument to attack Iraq, and to achieve the entity‘s ongoing efforts to expand the war in the region.â
Al-Mandlawi affirms Iraq‘s solidarity with Iran and condemns Zionist violations
Al-Mandlawi warned, according to the statement, of „the attempts of the Zionist occupation to expand the scope of the conflict in the region and the continuation of the bloodshed and targeting the killing of civilians, to escape the bitter reality and repeated defeats after more than a year of Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa,“ stressing „the need to take courageous positions in addressing and resolving the issue of Iraqi airspace.“
Iraqi Mufti blames the country‘s defenses for inaction on Israel‘s attacks on Iran
In a statement, Al-Sumaida‘i condemned „Zionist violations,“ stressing the need for âa firm response.â He expressed surprise at the Iraqi governmentâs stance and the air defense forces‘ spokesman‘s declaration that they are „on alert and under full Iraqi control.“
âSuch statements cast doubt on Iraqâs position,â the Mufti announced, affirming that the current situation makes the country seem âweak and hesitant.â
He further called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to intervene immediately to prevent any leniency in dealing with these violations, stressing that âIraq must take decisive measures to preserve its dignity and sovereignty against any aggression.â
PM holds Phone Call with Jordanian King
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani made a phone call on Tuesday, to the King Jordan, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, stressing the importance of coordination between Iraq and Jordan to deliver humanitarian aid and enhance international efforts to stop these attacks.
Iraq – Prime Minister addresses General Debate, 79th Session
Speaker Name
AL-SUDANI, MOHAMMED SHIA
Speaker Role
Head of Government
Speaker Geographic
IRAQ
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani warns of global disorder, urges greater UN action in UNGA speech
The Prime Minister reiterated Iraqâs solidarity with Lebanon, stating that both the government and people of Iraq, guided by religious authority, stand with Lebanon against what he termed âaggression aimed at plunging the region into conflicts.â Al-Sudani also condemned the targeting of international and humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza.
He expressed concern over the broader global implications of the ongoing conflicts, warning that recent actions by Israel could „ignite a large-scale regional war“ and destabilize the entire region.
Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States and the Republic of Iraq
The two leaders expressed their commitment to the ongoing Higher Military Commission (HMC) process and its results, and the three working groups that will assess: the continued threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and bolstering Iraqâs security force capabilities. The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end, and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with Iraqâs Constitution and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.
US, Iraq agree on talks for withdrawal of US-led coalition from region
„The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end,“ the statement noted.
According to AP, the objective would be to transform talks into a bilateral agreement that could still keep a few US troops in Iraq, which already exist as 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition, knowing that in Syria they are officially considered occupation forces.
Iraq says talks resume on US-led coalition withdrawal
Iraq said on Sunday that it had resumed talks with the United States on the future of the anti-Islamic State coalition, expressing hope that they would not be disrupted and lead to an outcome soon.
A first round of talks opened on 27 January but was swiftly suspended after a drone attack killed three US military personnel at a base in Jordan the following day.
Iraqi Parliament to deliberate on the US attacked next Saturday
According to a statement from the Parliament, the deliberative session is set to take place at 5:00 PM next Saturday. The focus will be on the repeated US assaults on Iraqi sovereignty.
Earlier today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani reiterated his government‘s determination to end the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq in response to the US attacks on Iraqi areas.
American forces has repeated irresponsibly all the actions that would undermine the established understandings and hinder the initiation of bilateral dialogue. It conducted a blatant assassination through an airstrike in the heart of a residential neighborhood in the capital, Baghdad, showing no regard for civilian lives or international laws.
By this act, the American forces jeopardize civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens. Even more concerning is that the coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory.
This trajectory compels the Iraqi government more than ever to terminate the mission of this coalition, which has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict, and our armed forces cannot neglect their constitutional duties and responsibilities, which demand safeguarding the security of Iraqis and the land of Iraq from all threats.
God‘s mercy and honor to the martyrs of this attack and to all martyrs of Iraq.
Major General Special Forces
Yehia Rasool
The Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Al-Sudani backs al-Anbar PMF and urges vigilance
The meeting took place in the wake of the US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Iraq and Syria on Saturday. The US said the strikes were in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three American soldiers at a US base in Jordan last weekend. The Iraqi government condemned the US attacks as a violation of its sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
Iraq wants âorderlyâ withdrawal of âdestabilizingâ US troops: PM
(10.01.2024)
„There is a need to re-organize [our] relationship [with Washington] so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani said, partly in reference to attacks by the Iraqi resistance on US bases.
The Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly said that Baghdad will neither accept foreign troops nor armed factions operating on its soil.
âIntense effortsâ from Iraqi govt pressured Kataib Hezbollah to stop attacks on US troops
Iraqi and US officials met a day before the deadly drone attack to discuss the future of the US presence in Iraq under the framework of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC).
The meeting aimed at âReviewing the mission of the US-led international coalition against ISIS, following Iraqâs victory over one of the most formidable terrorist groups in the world.â
âFollowing this review, a specific timetable will be formulated to end the military mission of the Coalition and transition to bilateral security relations between Iraq, the United States, and partner countries in the Coalition.â
Kataib Hezbollah Iraq Suspends Operations Against U.S. Forces
Al-Hamidawi announced the suspension of military and security operations „against the occupation forces to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.“
The group pledged to continue supporting the people of Gaza through other means and recommended „passive defense“ if the group‘s fighters „faced any hostile American action.“
Coalition mission will end during current cabinet: Iraqi govt spox
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Ending the mission of the United States-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq will be achieved during the current cabinet, said a government spokesperson on Sunday, noting that the process has already been set in motion.
Iraqi government: the mission of the International Coalition in Iraq will end during the term of PM Sudani.
Albares begins Middle East tour to promote regional de-escalation of the conflict
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, today begins a tour of the Middle East that will first take him to Lebanon, then to Iraq, where he will hold meetings at the highest level with the aim of boosting the chances of achieving a regional de-escalation that will result in greater stability in the area.
Iraq‘s MoFA: Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation JosĂ© Manuel Albares Bueno is to arrive this evening for an official visit to Iraq. Bueno is set to hold meetings with Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, and PM Al-Sudani.
That strike in particular infuriated the Iraqi government, and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has called for the US-led coalition against IS jihadists to depart the country.
Gaza war: Why did Arab states not join South Africa‘s case against Israel in the ICJ?
All Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have issued many statements condemning Israel‘s assault on Gaza, but they did not take any further action. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League waited for more than a month of onslaught in Gaza to hold a summit in Riyadh to discuss the issue.
The summit decided to break the siege and blockade, but Arab countries never turned this resolution into action. Instead, Egypt obeyed Israeli commands and refused to give access to move injured civilians for treatment outside of Gaza unless Israel approved their names.
Baghdad committed to end presence of US troops in Iraq: Iraqi general
(21.01.2024)
„The end of the US-led coalition mission is a necessity for the security and stability of Iraq. It is also a necessity for preserving constructive bilateral relations between Iraq and the coalition countries,“ Sudani stated during a televised event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Exclusive: Iraq seeks quick exit of US forces but no deadline set, PM says
(10.01.2024)
„There is a need to reorganise this relationship so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani told Reuters in an interview in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Giving the first details of his thinking about the future of the coalition since his Jan. 5 announcement that Iraq would begin the process of closing it down, Sudani said the exit should be negotiated under „a process of understanding and dialogue“.