Israeli artillery shelling near the Naqoura and Labouneh areas in southern Lebanon

The day after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Baghdad and his meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, and the latter’s trip the next day to Tehran and his meeting with senior Iranian leaders, led by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Iraq appears not very far from the ongoing war in Palestine, if not on the verge of falling into it, if the political leadership is not able to distance the country from the evils and horrors of war, especially because there are numerous armed groups and factions that oppose Washington and hold it responsible for the war in that country, with numerous missile attacks against its military bases in Iraq and Syria, and these are groups linked to the so-called “Axis of resistance led by Tehran ”.

The observers’ connection between the American minister’s visits to Baghdad and those of the Iraqi prime minister to Tehran therefore seems logical and is supported by facts on the ground.

Beyond the criticism leveled by government opponents that it is “just about conveying a message”, a source close to the Sudanese government does not rule out a connection between the two visits and tells Asharq Al-Awsat: “The government is facing difficulties circumstances caused in recent days by the war in Gaza, and he is making every effort to follow the path of not involving his country in this war”.

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, adds: “The Sudanese position is against the war and in favor of the Palestinian cause, and this is stated, but he faces enormous pressure due to the extreme movements and positions taken by some factions armies. against the bases and interests of the American states in Iraq.”

As for researcher and political analyst Nizar Haider, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he believes that Secretary Blinken’s brief visit to Baghdad came to remind Iraq, first and foremost, “of its obligations to protect foreign installations in all their forms, especially military ones.” forces with all their titles and designations, whose presence has been confirmed by both sides.” Based on an invitation from the Government of Iraq.

Secondly, recalling, and addressing Haider, that “if Baghdad is unable to fulfill its obligations in this regard and the situation gets out of hand and armed factions continue to target forces, the United States will defend itself by all means.” , which some interpreted as a reminder to Baghdad of the airport operation in 2020,” in reference to the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis in a US bombing near Baghdad airport.

He added: “At the same time, the minister addressed his message directly to the armed factions while in Baghdad, both through the symbolism of his bulletproof shirt and through the press conference he held at his country’s embassy in Baghdad. “

Regarding Al-Sudani’s visit to Tehran, Nizar believes that “its aim is to convince Tehran not to involve Iraq in any kind of escalation and confrontation with the United States, instructing its agents to carry out armed attacks against the headquarters and installations of foreign forces in Iraq”.

And he continues: “It seems to me that Iranian leader Ali Khamenei’s tweet today, in which he states that Iraq can exert political pressure on the United States of America to stop the crimes of the Zionist entity in Gaza, is a proactive understanding on the part of Iran of the Iraqi position regarding a possible escalation, and I do not exclude that the Sudanese bring a repeated warning message”. From Washington to Tehran.

In the same context, the director of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies, Dr. Ghazi Faisal, states: “American bases in Iraq have been bombed by factions linked to the axis led by Tehran, and several statements have been released by these factions declaring war on presence and bases in Iraq and threatening to bomb the embassy and American interests.” “All this threatens the close relations between Washington and Baghdad through the strategic framework agreement between the two countries.”

Faisal added in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat: “The issuing of the statement by the factions declaring war on the United States of America constitutes armed disobedience against the constitutional government of Iraq and a violation of the constitution and international law, because American interests and the international coalition exist within the framework of the approval of the Iraqi government.”

He goes on to say that Secretary Blinken’s visit “came to underline the stability of relations between Washington and Baghdad and to hold Baghdad accountable for protecting the American presence in Iraq. Otherwise, as the factions continue to bomb, Washington will evaluate the appropriate response to the factions.”

Faisal does not rule out that US Secretary of State Blinken “will send the Iraqi Prime Minister a verbal message to Tehran, warning him of the consequences of entering the war, expanding its scope and transforming it into a regional war that will lead to major damage and serious destruction”.