Trump redoubles vow to withdraw troops from Iraq

US President Donald Trump has once again promised Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to withdraw the few US troops who are still in Iraq.

In his first meeting with the Iraqi premier which took place at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that although he was looking forward to the day when all US troops could leave Iraq, American businesses were already making “very big oil deals” there.

“We’ll be leaving shortly,” he told reporters. “We have very few soldiers in Iraq ... but we’re there to help. And the prime minister knows that.”

He, however, did not elaborate on the exact time US troops would exit the country.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also told reporters Washington was working with Baghdad to bring the number of US troops in Iraq “down to the lowest level as quickly as we can.”

The United States has had nearly 5,000 troops in the Arab country, and coalition allies another 2,500.

Baghdad, Washington affirm commitment to US troop withdrawal, Iraqi premier says

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi says Baghdad and Washington have affirmed their commitment to the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

In June, the US and Iraq affirmed their commitment to the reduction of American troops in Iraq in coming months, with Washington declaring no plan to maintain permanent bases or a permanent military presence in the country.

Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country following the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq's PMU, and their companions in a US airstrike authorized by Trump near Baghdad International Airport two days earlier.

Later on January 9, former Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, called on the United States to dispatch a delegation to Baghdad tasked with formulating a mechanism for the move.

Iran played a major role in Iraq’s fight against Daesh, the notoritous terror group which praised the assassination of Gen. Soleimani and al-Muhandis, saying they “died” at the hands of its “allies” - a clear reference to the US.

Trump, in the meeting on Thursday, also told al-Kadhimi, who took office in April, that “if Iran should do anything, we will be there to help the Iraqi people.”

This comes amid a new spike in tensions between the US and Iran after Washington said it would seek a return of all UN sanctions on Tehran by triggering a snapback provision in the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Following a crushing defeat in the wake of Washington’s failed bid to expand an arms embargo on Iran at the United Nations Security Council, the United States wants to submit a complaint to the 15-member body over accusations of Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA, even though Washington unilaterally quit the landmark accord in 2018.

US to submit complaint to UNSC on Iran nuclear deal: Sources

The US is reportedly planning to submit a complaint to the 15-member body over accusations of Iran

The sanctions snapback process would be tough as Russia, China and other countries on the Security Council would challenge the legality of the US move given that Washington is no longer a signatory to the JCPOA after unilaterally withdrawing from the agreement.

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