Iraq’s parliament called yesterday for United States and other foreign military forces to leave amid a growing backlash against the U.S. killing of a top Iranian military commander that has heightened fears of a wider Middle East conflict.
In a war of words between Iran and the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would target any Iranian decision-makers it chose if there were further attacks on U.S. interests by Iranian forces or their proxies.
Qassem Soleimani was killed on Friday in a U.S. drone strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport, an attack that took U.S.-Iranian hostilities into uncharted waters and stoked concern about a major conflagration. As Washington and Tehran, longtime foes, traded threats and counter-threats, the European Union, Britain and Oman urged them to make diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.
The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution calling for an end to all foreign troop presence, reflecting the concern of many in Iraq that the strike could engulf them in a major war between two bigger powers long at odds in Iraq and across the region.
“The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, air space or water for any reason,” it said.
While parliamentary resolutions are non-binding to the government, this one is likely to be heeded.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdihad earlier called on parliament to end foreign troop presence as soon as possible.
There was no immediate comment on the Iraqi move from the U.S. State Department or Pentagon. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani was quoted by state television as saying the Iraqi parliament’s decision means the U.S. military presence in Iraq is considered an occupation.
Meanwhile, Iran yesterday declared that it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal. In a statement it said it would no longer observe limitations on its capacity for enrichment, the level of enrichment, the stock of enriched material, or research and development.
The statement came after a meeting of the Iranian cabinet in Tehran. It came amid heightened tensions over the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the US in Baghdad. Under the 2015 accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.
US President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018, saying he wanted to force Iran to negotiate a new deal that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles. Iran refused and has since been gradually rolling back its commitments under the agreement.