US-led coalition temporarily relocates headquarters from Iraq to Kuwait

The US-led military coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh terrorist group has reportedly relocated its headquarters in Iraq to Kuwait in the wake of recent martyrdom of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the Commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the second-in-command of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and public rage over the targeted killings.

Iraq’s Arabic-language al-Forat news agency reported that the alliance took the decision on Tuesday to move its command center from the Iraqi capital Baghdad to Kuwait City.

The Qatar-based and Arabic-language al-Jazeera news network, citing a report published by German DPA news agency, later confirmed the account.

The report came only a day after Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said his country and the United States should work together on implementing the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country.

Abdul-Mahdi made the remarks while talking to US ambassador Matthew Tueller, after Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.

"The prime minister stressed the importance of mutual cooperation on implementing the withdrawal of foreign troops, in line with the Iraqi parliament's resolution, and to set relations with the United States on a proper foundation," Abdul-Mahdi’s office said in a statement on Monday.

"He stressed how dangerous the situation is right now and its potential consequences, adding that Iraq is doing everything it can to prevent the descent into open war."

Also on Monday, the deputy secretary general of Iraq’s al-Nujaba Movement slammed the US assassination of General Soleimani and Muhandis, saying a united front is going to be formed against US’s military presence in the region.

“The leaders of Iraqi resistance groups will convene a meeting either today or tomorrow to declare the formation of a united front against the US [military] presence. It is better for us (resistance factions) to join forces and deal with Washington, which classifies us in the same category,” Nasr al-Shammari said in an exclusive interview with Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network.

SS