Bloomberg revealed, yesterday, Friday, new details that prompted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to make a surprise landing in the capital, Baghdad, and meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani .
Blinken had made an unannounced visit to the capital, Baghdad, which was not on the agenda of his Middle East tour that he has been conducting since the day before yesterday , Thursday , to discuss with the leaders of the region’s countries the latest developments in the situation in Syria, after the fall of the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition’s control of the reins of power in Damascus .
The American newspaper quoted an American official traveling with the minister, who requested anonymity for diplomatic reasons, as saying that Blinken asked al-Sudani to prevent Iran from shipping weapons or other equipment through the country to Syria, noting that the minister made the request preemptively to the prime minister, because Tehran is not currently transporting weapons through Iraq .
The official added that Blinken stressed that Syria is still fragile and that Washington wants Iraq to prevent any weapons from entering, as they could be used by Iranian-backed militias or further destabilize the country. The official added that Iran appears to have been weakened by its conflict with Israel .
Blinken also asked Al-Sudani to take strict measures against Iranian-backed Iraqi factions in Iraq, which have sometimes attacked US forces stationed in the country .
Upon landing at Baghdad International Airport, Blinken was received by American diplomats only, without any Iraqi official receiving him, according to the photos that documented the moment he got off the plane .
Following that, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and discussed with him bilateral relations between the two countries, ways to enhance joint cooperation, as well as discussing the situation in the region, developments in the current events in Syria, and the regional and international efforts required to enhance security in Syria and the stability of the entire region.
