WASHINGTON DC – A top White House official said on Wednesday that Americans are "perfectly justified" in their desire to be present in Iraq to watch Iran.
Iran is exerting its influence in places across the Middle East, and “the places where they're intervening are not exactly an advertisement for good government and prosperous security,” said a senior White House official.
"So I think that we are perfectly justified in wanting to keep a close eye on them," the official added.
United States President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he wanted American forces to stay in Iraq in order to keep an eye on Iran.
"All I want to do is be able to watch," he said. "We're going to keep watching and we're going to keep seeing and if there's trouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we're going to know it before they do."
Trump's comments have been condemned in Baghdad where leaders insist they will not allow disputes between Washington and Tehran to play out on Iraqi territory.
"There are no American military bases in Iraq. We have said that more than once," Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said on Tuesday.
President Barham Salih has pointed out that the constitution does not allow Iraq to be used in a regional or international tug of war.
Reporting by Majeed Gly.