South Korea, US Discuss Warship Building Cooperation 
Trump Board of Peace Unveils $2.45 Billion Gaza Recovery Plan 
Marco Rubio to Meet Russia’s Lavrov in New York 
Gaza Faces Evacuation Crisis as War-Damaged Buildings Risk Collapse 
Trump to Press Xi on Release of US Nuclear Expert Held in China 
Russian Envoy Dmitriev Heads to US for Ukraine Talks 
Venezuela Promises Elections as Delcy Rodriguez Pledges Democratic Transition 
Zelenskiy Warns Russia Preparing Major Attack on Ukraine 
Trump Meets Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez at UN Assembly 
Europe Warns Russia Is Escalating Hybrid Attacks Across NATO 
US Officials Split Over Response to Israeli West Bank Settlements 
Sudan Rejects US Legitimacy Remarks, Defends Sovereignty 
Canada Unveils Bill to Fast-Track Major Resource Projects 
Macron, Trump Discuss Ukraine-Russia Energy Strike Moratorium 
Trump Administration Plans Faster FDA Reviews for Smoke-Free Nicotine Products 
Ghana Says Western Support Growing for Slave Trade Reparations 
US, China Extend Trade Truce to Jan. 10 Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
Add as a preferred source on Google
Iraq has been caught in the crossfire in the conflict between the United States and Iran, the tensions having escalated over recent months. The White House announced that US President Joe Biden would be meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi this month.
The White House announced Friday that Biden would be hosting Kadhemi at the White House on July 26 in an effort to reaffirm the strategic partnership between both countries. Ahead of the announcement, Kadhemi spoke with US envoy Brett McGurk regarding the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. To note, around 3,500 international troops are stationed in Baghdad, 2,500 of which are from the US.
The troops are stationed in the region in order to deter the Islamic State extremist group since 2014. When the two leaders meet, Kadhemi is expected to push for a concrete timetable on US troop withdrawal. However, the withdrawal may take years to fully implement.
This follows the increasing drone and rocket attacks on American targets in Iraq over the recent months. The meeting between the Iraqi PM and McGurk came a little after 14 rockets were launched at the Ain al-Assad airbase, which hosts American troops in western Iraq, along with three other rockets that were fired near the US embassy in Baghdad.
The attacks have been pinned as being caused by pro-Iranian militia groups. The US also launched airstrikes on Iran-backed militia facilities along the Iraq-Syria border.
Biden will also be meeting with another world leader as he is set to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II this week at the White House. King Abdullah II would also become the first Arab leader to meet with the new US president. Relations between King Abdullah and Biden would likely be warmer this time after experiencing a strain with Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.
The king hopes to have a better relationship with Biden, whom he met when he was still vice president to Barack Obama. “Jordan will be looking at a friend in Joe Biden,” said political analyst Osama al-Sharif, speaking with Al Jazeera. “The president will publicly recognize the Hashemites’ special role in East Jerusalem and reinstate Jordan’s role as a key interlocutor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
