SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi struck a deal with Iranian officials to halt militias’ rocket attacks on American facilities in Iraq, Shafaaq News reported on Friday.
The news outlet cited political sources with knowledge of the matter as saying that Kadhimi had secret talks with Iranian officials to stop Iranian-backed armed groups from attacking the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
“Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had reached Iran through private negotiations to halt rocket attacks targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad,” the sources told Shafaaq News.
There have been no rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq since January. On December 20, a volley of rockets exploded near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
The Iraqi military accused an “outlaw group” of firing the rockets at Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings, U.S. embassy and other foreign missions.
U.S. officials blame Iran-backed militia for rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq, including near the embassy in Baghdad. No known Iran-backed groups have claimed responsibility.
Due to rocket attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the United States has reduced the number of staff at the embassy and warned of consequences if any Americans are killed.
Washington threatened to shut its embassy unless the Iraqi government reined in Iran-aligned militias.
