Zaidi tells Trump Iraqi territory must not be used to attack neighbours
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi spoke with Donald Trump on November 5 as Baghdad sought to stay outside the Iran war. His office said he called for respect for sovereignty and opposed attacks on neighbours from Iraqi territory. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein separately urged armed groups against joining any Iranian retaliation.
Geopolitics··Midday
Zaidi calls for sovereignty and diplomacy
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump on November 5. According to the Iraqi premier’s office, their discussion covered regional developments, security and prospects for the next phase. Zaidi called for respect for national sovereignty and opposed Iraqi territory being used as a launch point for attacks against neighbouring countries. He stressed diplomacy and dialogue as ways to protect regional stability.[1], [2]
Hussein warns armed groups against entering the war
The call took place amid diplomatic efforts over possible renewed American attacks on Iran. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Iraqi television channel Dijlah TV the same day that the possibility of further US strikes was known. He urged Iraqi armed groups against joining any Iranian retaliation and warned that drawing Iraqi society into war would be disastrous. He said neither society nor the armed forces were prepared for war.[1]
Baghdad seeks relations with Washington and Tehran
Hussein said Iraq wanted good relations with both the United States and neighbouring Iran and was not part of an axis. He opposed turning Iraqi territory into a battlefield again. Zaidi, who took office in May, has made disarming armed groups a priority. His office’s account of the call expressed Baghdad’s position on sovereignty and peaceful solutions; it did not establish that every armed group was complying.[1]
