US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise trip to Iraq on Friday, meeting with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad. The visit comes amid growing concerns about the fallout from the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, which has left the region scrambling to manage the aftermath.
Blinken’s stop in Baghdad was part of a series of high-level meetings in Turkey and Jordan aimed at creating a coordinated plan for Syria’s future. After Assad’s regime fell to rebel forces last weekend, the focus has shifted to ensuring that the power vacuum doesn’t turn Syria into a breeding ground for terrorism. “Groups like ISIS will no doubt try to take advantage of the chaos,” Blinken warned earlier.
In his one-hour meeting with Sudani, Blinken emphasized the importance of keeping Syria from becoming a hub for extremism. He also stressed the need to crack down on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, which have a history of targeting US interests and could exploit the situation in Syria. Blinken reportedly urged Iraq to prevent Iran from using its territory to transport weapons to militias in Syria, adding that Iran’s influence in the region remains a destabilizing force.
After the meeting, Blinken spoke about the US and Iraq’s shared determination to keep ISIS from making a comeback. “We’ve made tremendous progress in dismantling ISIS’s so-called caliphate, but we can’t let our guard down,” he said, referring to the group by its Arabic acronym, Daesh. Blinken also reaffirmed America’s commitment to helping Iraq maintain its sovereignty while addressing the ongoing challenges posed by Iranian-backed groups.
Sudani, for his part, assured Blinken that Iraq has no interest in being dragged into a larger conflict. While specifics of his response weren’t disclosed, the Iraqi leader’s position highlights the country’s delicate balancing act between regional powers.
From Baghdad, Blinken is heading back to Aqaba, Jordan, for a ministerial meeting on Syria. The goal is to lay out a roadmap for rebuilding Syrian state institutions while preserving the country’s unity and stability. Regional leaders are focusing on how to support Syria’s people as they move beyond the Assad era.
Blinken expressed cautious optimism, saying this is a pivotal moment for Syria and its neighbors. “We’re seeing both real challenges and real opportunities,” he said, adding that countries in the region are coming together to agree on a unified plan to help Syria rebuild.
