Two senior Iraqi military officials have reported that the Iraqi government ordered its military not to seek assistance from US forces in operations against ISIS. Tensions between Washington and Baghdad have risen after a US-led airstrike in Iran that killed a top Iranian general and an Iraqi militia commander.
Although the country’s demands to remove American forces have calmed down, Iraq is rethinking the strategic relationship with the US, affecting military cooperation in combatting terrorism. On January 30, Iraq announced that joint operations between the two countries had resumed after a three-week break, but the statement was later rescinded by a military spokesperson and is yet to be clarified.
Read More: Iraqi officials say Baghdad wants to minimize reliance on US