{"id":53112,"date":"2020-02-06T22:33:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T22:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/06\/iraq-considers-deepening-military-ties-with-russia\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:35:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:35:38","slug":"iraq-considers-deepening-military-ties-with-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2020\/02\/06\/iraq-considers-deepening-military-ties-with-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraq considers deepening military ties with Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BAGHDAD \u2014 Iraq and Russia discussed prospects for deepening military coordination, Iraq\u2019s Defense Ministry said Thursday, amid a strain in Baghdad-Washington relations after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian general inside Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ministry statement followed a meeting in Baghdad between Iraqi army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanimi and Russian Ambassador Maksim Maksimov, as well as a newly arrived defense attache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting comes during an uncertain moment in the future of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/05\/us-troops-have-no-plans-to-leave-iraq-pompeo-says\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Iraq-U.S. military relations<\/a>, following the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike that killed Iran\u2019s most powerful military commander, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/03\/iran-threatens-revenge-following-death-of-qasem-soleimani-as-iraq-government-condemns-assassination\/\" target=\"_blank\">Gen. Qassem Soleimani<\/a>, and Iraqi senior militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad airport. The attack prompted powerful Shiite parties to call for an overhaul of the existing strategic set-up between Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/05\/iraqi-officials-say-baghdad-wants-to-minimize-reliance-on-us-military-in-fight-against-islamic-state\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20036517086834.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Iraqi officials say Baghdad wants to minimize reliance on US military in fight against Islamic State<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Iraqi government has told its military not to seek assistance from the U.S.-led coalition in operations against the Islamic State group, two senior Iraqi military officials said, amid a crisis of mistrust between Washington and Baghdad after an American strike killed a top Iranian general and an Iraqi militia commander.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Al-Ghanimi praised Moscow\u2019s role in the battle against the Islamic State group, saying they had provided \u201cour armed forces with advanced and effective equipment and weapons that had a major role in resolving many battles,\u201d according to the ministry statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The statement said the sides discussed prospects for \u201ccooperation and coordination.\u201d Both parties emphasized the importance of exchanging information and coordination to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maksimov extended an invitation to al-Ghanimi to visit Russia and meet with his counterpart \u201cwithin the framework of strengthening cooperation between the two sides,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/mideast-africa\/2020\/01\/15\/what-was-russias-putin-up-to-after-the-death-of-irans-soleimani\/\" target=_blank>no immediate comment from Moscow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/04\/the-top-us-general-in-the-middle-east-visits-iraq-for-talks-to-salvage-relations\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6049981.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Top US general in the Middle East visits Iraq for talks to salvage relations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The top U.S. commander for the Middle East slipped quietly into Iraq Tuesday, as the Trump administration works to salvage relations with Iraqi leaders and shut down the government\u2019s push for an American troop withdrawal.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A senior Iraqi military intelligence official told The Associated Press that Russia, among other countries, has come forward to offer military support in the wake of fraught US.-Iraq relations following Soleimani\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIraq still needs aerial reconnaissance planes. There are countries that have given signals to Iraq to support us or equip us with reconnaissance planes such as Russia and Iran,\u201d said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the drone strike that killed Soleimani, Iraq\u2019s Parliament passed a non-binding resolution urging a U.S. troop withdrawal, and then caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi openly called for a troop withdrawal.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/06\/us-troops-have-been-squaring-off-with-russian-contractors-in-syria-raising-worries-of-wider-conflict\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1178325939.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US troops have been squaring off with Russian contractors in Syria raising worries of wider conflict<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cI think the Russians are always testing us.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then, Iraqi leaders have scaled back the saber-rattling rhetoric. But behind closed doors, the bitterness has poisoned the partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senior Iraqi military officials told AP this week that<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/01\/30\/iraq-says-joint-operations-with-us-led-coalition-resume-against-islamic-state-group\/\" target=_blank> Iraq told its military not to seek assistance from the U.S.-led coalition<\/a> in joint operations targeting the Islamic State group and to minimize cooperation. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, acknowledged recently that relations with Iraq were \u201cin a period of turbulence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iraq and Russia discussed prospects for deepening military coordination, Iraq\u2019s Defense Ministry said Thursday, amid a strain in Baghdad-Washington relations after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian general inside Iraq.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":91730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":12,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,89,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[356,3259],"class_list":["post-53112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"XUKINIY54NDRDCVAMQXECSWD3I","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/06\/iraq-considers-deepening-military-ties-with-russia\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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