US Secretary of State receives Republican request for immediate sanctions on Iraq
US Secretary of State receives Republican request for immediate sanctions on Iraq
2025-05-29
Shafaq News/ Two Republican members of the US House of Representatives called for immediate sanctions on Iraq, accusing the Baghdad government of “completely submitting to Iranian influence” and turning the country into “a puppet in Tehran’s hands.”
In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Representatives Joe Wilson (South Carolina) and Greg Steube (Florida) called for a “comprehensive reassessment of relations with Iraq,” demanding a freeze on all US aid to the Iraqi government until it takes serious steps to “restrict Iranian hegemony.”
The two representatives stated in the letter that “Iran today effectively controls the Iraqi government and broad sectors of the security services,” considering continued US support for Baghdad a “betrayal of the sacrifices of more than 4,400 American soldiers killed since 2003.”
The two Republican lawmakers blamed former President Barack Obama’s administration for “empowering Iran within Iraq,” by supporting former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and allowing Tehran-backed militias to expand under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
They added that the current policy toward Baghdad represents a “strategic failure,” calling for a more assertive policy aimed at curbing Iranian influence not only in Iraq but throughout the region.
shafaq.com
