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President Biden is group to big Iraq’s leader this week for talks aft Iran's unprecedented onslaught connected Israel complete nan weekend. U.S. forces successful Iraq were specifically credited pinch helping sprout down Iranian missiles that were intending to onslaught Israel.
Monday's gathering between Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani is expected to reside location stableness and nan viability of keeping an American subject beingness successful Iraq, done which portions of Iran's Saturday drone and rocket onslaught connected Israel flew aliases were launched from.
The gathering is besides expected to see discussions of economic, waste and acquisition and power issues, according to U.S. officials.
The U.S. leaders could besides talk early U.S. unit deployments. "It is not nan superior attraction of nan sojourn … but it is almost surely going to travel up," 1 elder U.S. charismatic told The Associated Press.
US DESTROYED MORE THAN 80 DRONES, AT LEAST 6 BALLISTIC MISSILES FROM IRAN AND YEMEN
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani chairs negotiations betwixt Iraq and nan United States to extremity nan International Coalition ngo successful Baghdad connected Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, Pool)
U.S. Central Command said successful a connection that U.S. European Command destroyers supported U.S. forces while they engaged and destroyed much than 80 one-way onslaught uncrewed aerial vehicles and astatine slightest six ballistic missiles.
This included a U.S. Patriot artillery successful Irbil, Iraq, knocking down astatine slightest 1 Iranian ballistic missile, The Associated Press reported, citing American officials.
The White House initially announced al-Sudani's visit to Washington past month.
IRAN CLAIMS TO FOLLOW DRONE LAUNCH AT ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE
The leaders will "consult connected a scope of issues," including nan conflict against nan Islamic State and "ongoing Iraqi financial reforms to beforehand economical improvement and advancement toward Iraq's financial independency and modernization," nan White House said.
President Biden is group to big Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani connected Monday, April 15 for talks that travel arsenic nan Israel-Hamas warfare has accrued tensions crossed nan Middle East. (MIRIAM ALSTER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. and Iraq began general talks successful January astir ending nan location conjugation initially created to thief nan Iraqi authorities conflict ISIS. Some 2,000 U.S. troops remained successful nan state nether an statement pinch Baghdad.
The 2 countries person a delicate narration owed successful portion to Iran’s sizeable sway successful Iraq, wherever a conjugation of Iran-backed groups brought al-Sudani to powerfulness successful October 2022.
An anti-missile strategy operates aft Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, arsenic seen from Ashkelon, Israel, April 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
President Biden, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met successful Tel Aviv, Israel, connected Oct. 18, 2023. Biden has supported Israel since Hamas' astonishment onslaught connected Oct. 7, 2023. (GPO/ Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The U.S. successful caller months has urged Iraq to usage its power successful Iran to thief forestall attacks connected U.S. bases successful Iraq and Syria that person escalated successful nan aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack connected Israel.
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Iran's onslaught connected Israel further underscored U.S. concerns.
Al-Sudani came to powerfulness successful precocious 2022. Since then, al-Sudani has attempted to support a balancing enactment betwixt Iran and America contempt being seen arsenic being adjacent to Tehran.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
