U.S. presence is still required in northern Iraq, Kurdish PM tells NBC News
ERBIL, Iraq — An American military presence is still required in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq despite growing calls from some politicians in Baghdad for it to end, the prime minister of the semi-autonomous region told NBC News in an exclusive interview today.
“Americans have been very supportive in supporting Iraq and fighting terrorism,” Masrour Barzani said in an interview at his office. “I wouldn’t call for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops.”
His comments came after the Iraqi government condemned last night’s U.S drone attack in Baghdad which killed Abo Baqir Al-Saadi, a commander of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, calling it “a clear-cut assassination operation.”
Several lawmakers also called for the full withdrawal of U.S. forces after the wave of retaliatory strikes on Iraq and Syria over the weekend, following the attack on the American base in Jordan which killed three service members.
But Barzani said there were still “many challenges” and “many threats” still out there including ISIS, which he said was not completely defeated. “The presence of Americans of some sort, and the U.S. would also agree, is necessary,” he added.
Although he praised U.S. support for Kurdistan, he called for “urgent” aid for the region, particularly air defense systems to counter the barrage of missiles fired by Iran-backed militias on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria and on Kurdish territory, an onslaught that has increased in intensity since the war in Gaza.
Sweden has thwarted Iranian attack plots, counterintelligence police say
A senior member of the Swedish security police said today that Iran had planned attacks on the country, days after local media reported that two Iranians were deported for a plot to kill three Swedish Jews several years ago.
Earlier this week, Swedish broadcaster SR reported that two Iranians had been suspected of planning to kill members of the Swedish Jewish community. They were arrested in 2021 and were expelled from Sweden in 2022 without charges, according to Swedish radio.
Daniel Stenling, counterespionage head at Sweden’s domestic security agency, told SR on Thursday that Iran “has been preparing and conducted activities aimed at carrying out a so-called physical attack against someone or something in Sweden.”
He added, “We have worked on a number of such cases where we have, as we gauge it, thwarted such preparations.” He declined to give specifics.
Fears grow in Rafah as Netanyahu orders troops to prepare for push into the city
Fear is growing in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah where tens of thousands of displaced people have been seeking shelter after Netanyahu ordered his troops to prepare a push into the city.
After rejecting cease-fire proposals from Hamas, Netanyahu said Rafah was the "last bastion" for the militant group.
In a Telegram post today, Gaza’s Information Ministry reported dozens of injuries from bombardment in the city, where tens of thousands of people fled after the Israeli military ordered them to evacuate the north of the enclave.
Blinken, who will hold a second day of talks with Israeli leaders today, has said that Israel has a "obligation" and "responsibility" to prioritize safety of civilians.
Militant commander blamed for participating in killings of three U.S. soldiers killed in Baghdad drone strike
A Kata’ib Hezbollah commander was killed in a U.S. drone strike last night in Baghdad as part of the response to an attack on American forces in the region two weeks ago, a U.S. official confirmed to NBC News.
The U.S. first launched retaliatory strikes in both Iraq and Syria last week following an attack on a base in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers.
Kata’ib Hezbollah announced the death of Abo Baqir Al-Saadi on its Telegram channel yesterday following Iraqi news report that a drone strike had hit a car in eastern Baghdad.
U.S. Central Command posted a statement on X announcing the strike, describing the man killed as someone directly responsible in planning and participating in attacks on American forces in the region.
“There are no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties at this time,” the post said.
Precision strike kills militant commander in Baghdad
Iraqis gather around a burned vehicle targeted by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad last night.
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