Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani revealed that his government blocked dozens of attacks by Iranian-aligned militias on Israeli and U.S. targets during the recent war between Israel and Iran to keep Baghdad from being drawn into a broader regional conflict.
In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press published on Tuesday, al-Sudani explained that Iraqi security forces and political maneuvers prevented 29 planned strikes, including missile and drone launches, during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
Al-Sudani also acknowledged the delicate balancing act required in managing Iraq’s close yet complicated relationships with Washington and Tehran. While militias backed by Tehran wield significant influence within Iraq, al-Sudani reached out to Iranian leaders, urging restraint and dialogue amid rising tensions.
He stressed that Iraqi sovereignty and security remain top priorities, and that all armed groups must ultimately operate under state authority.
Managing the Popular Mobilization Forces—a powerful umbrella group of mostly Iranian-backed militias—remains one of al-Sudani’s toughest challenges, as they have been under nominal Iraqi military control since 2016 but still largely act independently. As parliament debates new legislation to formalize their relationship with the armed forces—a move criticized by the United States as further entrenching Iranian influence—al-Sudani insists the aim is to bring all armed groups under state oversight and accountability.
Looking ahead, al-Sudani expressed a strong desire to build closer ties with the United States. He highlighted his hope that the United States would invest not only in Iraq’s security, but also in its economic development, energy sector and technology infrastructure. Seeking a second term, al-Sudani described potential U.S.–Iraq economic cooperation as key to making “the two countries great together,” and said a new bilateral security arrangement would be discussed with U.S. officials by year’s end.
Although the U.S. maintains a military presence in Iraq as part of the ongoing fight against the Islamic State, the future of this deployment is in flux as both governments negotiate a new framework for security cooperation. Al-Sudani has suggested that the departure of coalition forces will remove a key pretext for Iraqi militias to remain armed outside state control, and hopes that future U.S. involvement will focus more on economic investment than combat operations.
Addressing the case of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov—missing since 2023 and believed to be held by the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah—al-Sudani rejected claims that his government is passive, stressing that a dedicated team is pursuing her whereabouts. He added that Iraq “does not negotiate with gangs and kidnappers” and is instead working with political groups that may help secure her release.
Al-Sudani is working to rebuild relations with Syria’s new leadership following the ouster of longtime Syrian President Bashar Assad and the rise of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former commander associated with Al-Qaeda.
Despite lingering tensions—with al-Sharaa still wanted on terrorism charges in Iraq—Baghdad is coordinating closely with Damascus on security issues, as both governments face a resurgent ISIS and renewed sectarian violence threatening Syria’s fragile postwar recovery. Al-Sudani urged Syrian leaders to pursue an inclusive political process to avoid the mistakes that fueled chaos in Iraq, and emphasized Iraq’s opposition to any foreign intervention or Syria’s division.
