US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as the international community grapples with the aftermath of the collapse of the Syrian government, CNN reports.
Blinken met with Sudani for more than an hour in Baghdad, the latest in a series of meetings in Turkey and Jordan amid urgent efforts to coordinate an approach to Syria following the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad.
As the US works with key regional partners like Iraq, a particular focus is on ensuring that “any interim government also ensures that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism, extremism, or poses a threat to its neighbors or allies,” Blinken said earlier.
He noted that the notorious terrorist group (ISIS) “will no doubt try to regroup.”
Speaking after the meeting, Blinken said the US and Iraq are “determined to ensure that ISIS cannot resurface.”