The United States refuses to discuss the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq
The strength of the American forces in Iraq is 5 thousand soldiers.
"At this point, any delegation heading to Iraq will be charged with discussing the best way to reassert our strategic partnership, not to discuss troop withdrawal," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortigos said in a statement.
Ortagos’s comments come hours after resigned Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi asked US Secretary of State Mike Yumbeu to send delegates to Iraq to put in place mechanisms to implement the House’s decision to safely withdraw troops from Iraq.
Abdul-Mahdi, in contact with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reiterated Iraq’s rejection of all operations that violate its sovereignty, including the recent operation that targeted Ein al-Assad bases in Anbar and Harir in Arbil.
The resigned Iraqi Prime Minister confirmed in a statement issued by the government media office the desire of the various parties to prevent escalation and go to open war.
The Prime Minister of the Iraqi Caretaker Government also indicated to the American Secretary of State that there are "American forces entering Iraq and American marches (drones) flying in his sky without permission from the Iraqi government."
Abdul-Mahdi stressed that "this is in violation of the agreements in force." In turn, Pompeo Abdel Mahdi promised to follow up on the matter and affirmed his country's respect for the sovereignty of Iraq.
The move came after the Iraqi parliament voted to expel the five thousand American forces in Iraq, following the killing of the Quds Force commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani, in a US attack in Baghdad on January 3.
Iran responded on Tuesday evening with air strikes on two bases in Iraq with American forces. No one was killed or injured in the Iranian strikes. Since then, both Tehran and Washington have sought to reduce tension.