US Envoy delivers Trump's message to Iraq in PM's absence: Source

Shafaq News/ Victoria Taylor, the US President-elect Donald Trump's envoy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, briefed key Iraqi political forces on Trump's message, a well-informed political source revealed on Wednesday.

Notably, the President-elect's envoy is currently visiting Iraq to deliver a message to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and discuss his recent visits to Tehran, along with Trump's view on regional developments.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “The message was meant to be delivered to Prime Minister Al-Sudani.” However, Taylor’s briefing of the political forces coincided with Al-Sudani's trip to London and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein's travel to New York.

“The new administration recognized Al-Sudani’s government’s focus on prioritizing Iraq's interests over partisan or personal gains, which prompted a shift in the message delivered by Taylor,” the source added. "Thus, the American envoy met with several political and security leaders to discover their positions on the message and their support for the government’s direction, ensuring it aligns with Iraq’s interests, regional stability, and the message's contents."

Furthermore, he pointed out, “Everyone now supports the government's efforts to maintain Iraq's political independence and ensure security under strictly governmental frameworks,” noting, ‘The shift in the message’s direction was intentional, coordinated with PM Al-Sudani, to challenge the political forces opposing Iraq's independence and distancing the country from Iran and its controlling proxies.”

Earlier this month, our sources revealed that the PM received a message from Trump, in which he stressed “the need for Iraq to curb the proliferation of weapons held by non-state actors, pressure Baghdad to limit the influence of Iranian-backed groups operating within Iraq, and advocate for Iraq’s non-intervention in Syrian affairs while supporting the formation of a new Syrian government post-Assad.”

Following this message, Al-Sudani visited Iran for a one-day trip, where he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid growing regional and international tensions, particularly between Washington and Tehran.

Political experts see that the Iraqi armed factions groups are seen as “a direct threat” to US national security, prompting messages to Iraq, which in turn conveyed them to Iran.