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Joe Biden hosts Iraqi leader after Iran’s attack on Israel throws Middle East into greater uncertainty
- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden discuss range of issues
- Al-Sudani’s scheduled visit came as tensions soared between Iran and Israel after weekend strikes
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US President Joe Biden hosted Iraq’s leader at the White House on Monday as his administration aims to prevent escalation in Middle East hostilities following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was visiting the White House for talks intended to focus primarily on US-Iraq relations, which had been scheduled well before the Iranian strikes.
But Saturday’s drone and missile launches, including some that overflew Iraqi airspace, have underscored the delicate relationship between Washington and Baghdad, not least because of Iranian proxy groups that operate in Iraq.
The sharp increase in regional tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza and the weekend developments have raised further questions about the viability of the two-decade American military presence in Iraq.
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World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran launches air attack on Israel
World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran launches air attack on Israel
However, a US Patriot battery in Arbil, Iraq, did shoot down at least one Iranian ballistic missile, according to American officials, one of dozens of missiles and drones destroyed by US forces alongside Israeli efforts to defeat the attack.
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