In a CNN interview, Al-Sudani stated that Iraq's national interests propel bilateral relations with coalition nations

INA-  Baghdad

While pointing out efforts to keep Iraq out of the region's conflict arena, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani emphasized that the shift to bilateral relations with the coalition countries is a desire from Iraq's national interests. 
 
Iraqi News Agency (INA) received a statement from the Prime Minister's Media Office stating that "Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani's press interview with the American news network (CNN) featured some of his most notable statements."

The prime minister said that “My visit to Washington comes at a critical and significant time for our bilateral relations and the ongoing events in the region, confirming importance of preventing escalation and refraining from engaging in further reciprocal actions that affect the security and safety of the region's peoples.”
 
Al-Sudani affirmed “Since the onset of the events on October 7th, Iraq was among the first to warn of the dangers of the ongoing conflict and its severe implications, highlighting that international navigation in the Red Sea is being hindered, and recent escalations in Lebanon and Syria are direct consequences of this conflict.”

PM Al-Sudani stated that “The region cannot sustain these events, and everyone must press to stop this escalation, affirming not to compromise on enforcing the law and maintaining security and stability in Iraq; immediate and practical measures have been taken.”
 
He said that “We will not compromise on enforcing the law and maintaining security and stability in Iraq; immediate and practical measures have been taken asserting work to keep Iraq out of the conflict zone, maintaining our principled stance towards the aggression in Gaza and Palestine as this is the root of the problem.”

“The (events in the) region cannot be reduced to mere reactions; there is an ongoing genocide against the Palestinians visible to the world and the international community, which, along with its systems and laws, has failed to protect innocent civilians, that the casualties among Palestinian women and children are unacceptable and are at the root of the problem; stopping this war would lead to relief and stability in the region,” he highlighted.
 
 
Al-Sudani asserted that “The differences in our positions with the United States regarding the regional events are not little, but we agree on international law, general principles, humanitarian law, laws of war, and the principle of protecting diplomatic missions, and We want to implement these values and principles advocated by the international community; hence, where are the UN Security Council decisions and recommendations of international conferences on the Palestinian issue since the Oslo, Madrid, and Sharm el-Sheikh conferences, including the latest UN Security Council resolution?”

“ I don't believe President Biden disagrees with these principles, nor does any country advocating for an international system that respects humanity, highlighting that the attack on the Iranian mission in Damascus was a clear breach of international law, which prompted Iran's response, despite our efforts to contain the situation,” the prime minister said.
 
He confirmed that “We face a real problem with the situation in Gaza, affecting regional and global stability; ignoring the root cause means more repercussions and an expanded conflict zone in a region critical to the world, and We have received no reports or indications of missiles or drones launched from Iraq during the Iranian attack; our stance is clear on not allowing Iraq to be drawn into the conflict, and we are committed to this.”

Al-Sudani stated that “Iran cannot be implicated in every issue related to the Iraqi situation; ending the mission the coalition is an Iraqi demand and part of the government program approved by the parliament—these are facts that should not be overlooked, confirming that discussions on the coalition's mission have been ongoing since August 2023; Iraq today is different from what it was ten years ago when the coalition was formed.”
 
“ISIS no longer poses a threat to Iraq's state security; it is natural for the government to start addressing the matter of the international coalition, and our security forces have reached the highest levels of competence and preparedness and maintain control and stability in Iraq,” he said.
 
PM Al-Sudani asserted that “Based on the current facts on the ground, we initiated dialogue with the United States, which was realized through forming the higher military commission that continuously meets to propose a timeline for ending the international coalition's mission, affirming that transitioning to bilateral relations with coalition countries is driven by Iraq's national interests and not by the desires of specific countries or positions.”