Exclusive: Washington ends controversy over reasons for Petraeus’s visit to Iraq
Exclusive: Washington ends controversy over reasons for Petraeus’s visit to Iraq
2026-05-18
Shafaq News – Washington/ Mustafa Hashim
The US State Department clarified on Monday that David Petraeus does not hold any official position within the US mission in Iraq, commenting on the controversy surrounding his visit to Baghdad after talk of him being assigned special tasks or as an envoy of US President Donald Trump.
A ministry spokesman told Shafaq News Agency that “David Petraeus is a private citizen and does not hold any official position in the US mission in Iraq.”
Former CIA Director General David Petraeus visited the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, last Friday, where he held official meetings with senior Iraqi officials, without disclosing the nature of the visit or the capacity in which he is serving in Iraq.
Press reports indicated that the visit of the general, who held numerous positions in the US military during the occupation of Iraq, coincided with what was described as “American pressure” on the government regarding the issue of armed factions allied with Iran.
shafaq.com
