Faleh al-Fayyad, the head of Iraq’s pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, has called for the immediate withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from the country.
This demand comes in the aftermath of deadly US strikes that targeted Hashed al-Shaabi positions in western Iraq.
Allegedly responding to a January attack on a Jordanian base that claimed the lives of three US soldiers, the recent US strikes have escalated tensions between the two sides.
During a funeral ceremony for Hashed al-Shaabi members killed in the strikes, al-Fayyad accused the coalition of hitting administration offices, a hospital, and forces responsible for protecting borders.
With 16 fighters killed and 36 wounded in Friday’s strikes, Hashed al-Shaabi, previously instrumental in the defeat of ISIS, is now urging Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani to take action.
Al-Fayyad emphasized that defending Iraq’s sovereignty requires the departure of all coalition forces.
The US-led coalition, formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State group, currently has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.
Talks between Washington and Baghdad regarding the future of the troop presence began last month, following repeated demands from Prime Minister al-Sudani for a withdrawal timetable.
