Biden hosts Iraqi leader after Iran’s attack on Israel throws Mideast into greater uncertainty

By MATTHEW LEE, QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, and ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is hosting Iraq’s leader at the White House as his administration works to prevent an escalation in Mideast hostilities following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel. Biden is meeting Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for talks intended to focus primarily on U.S.-Iraq relations, which had been scheduled well before the Iranian strikes. But Saturday’s drone and missile launches, including some that overflew Iraqi airspace, have underscored the delicate relationship between Washington and Baghdad. The sharp increase in regional tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza and the weekend developments have raised further questions about the viability of the two-decade American military presence in Iraq.