The US Secretary of State visits the Middle East after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Baghdad and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to discuss the future of neighboring Syria.
Blinken visited the U.S. embassy in Iraq’s capital on Friday, the final stop on a tour of the Middle East following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Blinken and al-Sudani said that “as Syria transitions from Assad’s dictatorship to, hopefully, a democracy, there are many, many in the region and beyond, who will do so in a way that protects all of Syria’s minorities as a matter of course. It was discussed that the country has been found guilty. “We will create an inclusive and non-sectarian government,” Blinken said, adding that Syria should not become a “base of terrorism.”
“I think this is a time for Iraq to strengthen not only its own sovereignty but also its future stability, security and success,” Blinken said.
“Together, the United States (and) Iraq have had great success in seizing Daesh from the territorial caliphate it established years ago.”
“No one knows its importance more than Iraq as ISIS (ISIL), or Daesh, continues to exist in Syria. We are absolutely determined to ensure that Daesh does not rise again.” said.
The rebel group led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled al-Assad in Syria, disavows al-Qaeda and ISIL and says it has no ambitions in Iraq.
Despite Baghdad’s fears that the chaos could spill over across the border, Iraq is pushing back against Shi’ite rebels’ intervention in Syria as rebels advance and eventually take control of Damascus over the weekend. chose not to admit it.
Gaza ceasefire negotiations
Blinken arrived in Baghdad after his stop in Turkiye, where he also stressed that countering ISIL’s resurgence is “essential.”
He met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and warned that despite Blinken Turkiye’s operations against Kurdish fighters allied with the United States in the fight against ISIL in Syria, there is no way to ease the fight against ISIL. I said no.
“Turkiye will never tolerate any weakness in the fight against Daesh,” Erdogan said, pledging that the government would not slow down its pursuit of the group it considers a threat to national security.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Blinken Turkiye that he is committed to ensuring stability in Syria “as soon as possible” and preventing ISIL fighters from establishing a foothold there.
Blinken also said there were “encouraging signs” of progress toward a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called on Turkiye to use its influence to encourage Hamas to accept the deal. .
“We talked about Gaza, we talked about opportunities for a ceasefire, and what we’ve seen in recent weeks is more encouraging signs that it’s possible,” Blinken said. Ta.
“We discussed that it is essential for Hamas to say ‘yes’ to a possible agreement to finally end this situation,” he said.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel’s war in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has left more than 44,875 Palestinians dead and 106,454 injured.
