US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Sunday that attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, which intensified after the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, are "completely unacceptable."
Blinken's visit came amid rocket and drone attacks targeting Iraqi military bases housing US and international coalition forces to combat terrorism, which intensified after the start of the war on Gaza.
Blinken stressed – during a brief press conference at the end of his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani – that he "made it absolutely clear" to the Sudanese that "these attacks, and the threats emanating from militias allied with Iran, are completely unacceptable."
He told the conference before leaving for Turkey, "We will take the necessary measures in order to protect our forces."
Al-Sudani had condemned the attacks on US forces, directing security forces to "track down and track down the elements that carried them out". Al-Sudani has previously described the Israeli bombardment of Gaza as "genocide" against the Palestinian people and called for a ceasefire.
Washington accuses Iran of indirectly involvement in the attacks, which also affected U.S. forces in Syria.
Most of these attacks were claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq through Telegram channels affiliated with Iraqi factions close to Iran.
According to figures released by the Pentagon on Friday, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 3, there were 17 attacks in Iraq and 12 in Syria.
About 2500,<> U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq, providing advisory missions to their Iraqi counterparts in the fight against Islamic State.