White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani both arrived in Baghdad on Monday, with the timing of the visits raising questions about the ongoing US-Iran rivalry in Baghdad.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received McGurk in his office on Monday evening. According to the prime minister's media office, the meeting focused on strengthening relations between Iraq and the United States.