Rubio speaks to Iraqi PM al-Sudani amid tensions with Iran

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani after the transfer of detainees linked to ISIL (ISIS) from Syria to Iraq, and he urged Baghdad to keep a distance from Iran amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The US Department of State said in a news release that Rubio and al-Sudani spoke on Sunday, during which the top US diplomat “commended the Government of Iraq’s initiative and leadership in expediting the transfer and detention of ISIS terrorists”.

On Wednesday, the US military said it moved the first 150 detainees held in a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq as the Syrian army took control of more territory from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US military plans to transfer up to 7,000 people to Iraq.

The move represented a seismic shift in how the US handles its fight against ISIL in Syria. Washington had relied for a decade on the SDF, which it trained and armed, but after the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024, it is now partnering with the new Syrian government.

The Iraqi government has yet to issue any statement following the telephonic talk.

‘We’re watching Iran’

Rubio’s call on Sunday also came as Iraq is expecting a return of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister after more than 10 years. Al-Maliki first became prime minister in 2006 with the backing of the US. His ties with the US soured after he was accused of implementing sectarian policies that led to the rise of ISIL in Iraq.

Rubio said, “Iraq can fully realise its potential as a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East” as a new government is expected to take power in Baghdad.

“The secretary emphasised that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” Rubio said, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003, causing the country to descend into political chaos and giving rise to al-Qaeda and later ISIL. US troops withdrew in 2009 although some US soldiers remained to train Iraqi security forces.

In 2011, the remaining US-led coalition forces withdrew from Iraq, declaring an end to the war, which killed at least 275,000 people and ravaged the country.

About 5,000 US soldiers were deployed again in the fight against ISIL in 2014. They have since been withdrawn, the Iraqi government said this month.

Washington fears the influence of pro-Iranian Shia armed groups, which operate under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The PMF played a major role in the fight against ISIL.

The US wants armed groups to be dismantled and integrated into state structures.

‘Respond to aggression’

Meanwhile, the US has been moving military assets into the Middle East. On Thursday, President Donald Trump said an “armada” of warships was heading towards the Gulf with Iran as its focal point.

During mass protests that rocked Iran starting in late December, Trump repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily, prompting Tehran to pledge retaliation. The US struck three of Iran’s nuclear sites in June during Israel’s 12-day war with Tehran.

“We’re watching Iran. We have a big force going towards Iran,” Trump said.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran “will respond to any aggression more powerfully than before with a response that will make the aggressor regret it”.

“We have faced and continue to face hybrid warfare. Following the aggression in June, over the past few months, we have been confronted with a new threat from the United States and the Zionist regime,” he said, referring to Israel.

“Countries in the region are aware that any insecurity in the region is not aimed solely at Iran. Therefore, there is a shared concern among regional countries.”