Spanish troops will leave Iraq whenever Baghdad wants: Spain’s foreign minister

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Spanish troops will leave Iraq whenever the government in Baghdad wants.

Speaking from Baghdad after a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, Jose Manuel Albares said Spain is “ready to stand” with Iraq in military missions against Daesh/ISIS terror group and to support Iraq’s sovereignty for as long as needed.

Albares’ comments came days after the Iraqi government called on the US to withdraw its troops. “We believe the justifications for the international coalition have ended,” Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani told The Wall Street Journal.

Spain’s foreign minister, who is on a Middle East tour to promote regional de-escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, added that Spain is “extremely worried by the constant attacks against international military bases,” saying: “Attacks against foreign troops need to stop.”

Since mid-October 2023, coalition forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in more than 150 attacks, according to the Pentagon.

In Baghdad, Albares also highlighted that 88 countries support Spain’s initiative for a peace conference to “implement a two-state solution.”

“We need a Palestinian state,” said Albares, calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza “unbearable” and urging an immediate cease-fire.

The Spanish foreign minister added that Iraq is a “determinate actor” for peace in the region. “Iraq’s past experiences, neighborhood and current situation are incentives to call for containment, to reduce tension and de-escalate,” he said.

Later on Thursday, Albares is set to meet with the Iraqi prime minister and president.

In late December, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also visited Iraq alongside Spanish business leaders.

On Wednesday, Albares met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and visited Spanish troops in Lebanon.

There, he emphasized Beirut’s role in preventing a spillover of the current conflict, announced that Lebanon has become a “priority” for Spain’s international cooperation and vowed to boost bilateral aid.