Iran Warns It May Not ‘Remain A Spectator’ In Israel-Hamas Conflict—As U.S. Urges Iran Not To Intervene
ForbesOct 01, 2023
Blinken Makes Unannounced Iraq Trip Amid Regional Tensions
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Image copyright: WikimediaKevin Dietsch/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
As part of a multi-country tour of the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday, holding talks with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani following recent attacks within the country on American forces as well as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Blinken arrived in Baghdad after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank earlier on Sunday as well as stopping in Cyprus to discuss a potential aid route to Gaza. The visit was not announced due to security precautions.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The entirety of Blinken's current mission is to prevent the Gaza war from spilling over into other regional countries. With powerful elements within the Iraqi state in favor of Iran, alongside an expansion of attacks against US forces, Blinken is attempting to rule out the possibility of further military escalation and violence before it spirals into a disaster that would negatively impact the region's security.
Establishment-critical narrative
It is the US that continues to manipulate and stoke tensions in the Middle East to further its geopolitical goals. Iraq is a lynchpin in resisting US-Israeli hegemony in the region, and it has laid the groundwork for a new front in the Arab and Muslim worlds, which also includes Iran's regional muscle. The US will soon realize that its presence in Iraq is untenable.
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