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

President Joe Biden is hosting Iraq’s leader at the White House as fears grow for a major escalation in Mideast hostilities following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.

Biden was to meet 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, not least because of Iranian proxy groups that operate in Iraq.

The sharp increase in regional tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza and the weekend developments has raised further questions about the viability of the two-decade American military presence in Iraq. However, a U.S. Patriot battery in Irbil, Iraq, did knock down at least one Iranian ballistic missile, according to American officials.

Meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim before Biden's session with al-Sudani, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was urging all parties to avoid escalation.

“In the 36 hours since, we have been coordinating a diplomatic response to seek to prevent escalation,” he said. “Strength and wisdom need to be different sides of the same coin.”

Tamim said the Iraqi government was equally concerned.

“The Middle East today is living in exceptional circumstances that have repercussions on our nations, and we hope escalations and tensions in the area will end," he said.

«The government in Iraq is warning about escalation and the area being dragged into wider war that will threaten international security and safety. And therefore, we call on all parties for self-restraint and to respect the