Baghdad / Tehran: Iraq’s parliament, in the face of the growing anger over the US strike, voted on Sunday to oust the roughly 5,200 American troops present in the country.
The American troops stationed in Iraq provide essential support to the Iraqi forces trying to hunt down the thousands of ISIS insurgents still plotting attacks from hide-outs in remote rural areas, deserts and mountains.
If American forces pull out, that could facilitate an ISIS comeback. The resolution is non-binding, but it is likely to be heeded by the government as caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi supports the measures.
The resolution was backed by most Shiite members of Parliament, who hold a majority of seats. Many Sunni and Kurdish legislators did not show up for the session, apparently because they oppose abolishing the deal.
Meanwhile, Iran, looking at ‘‘strategic revenge,’’ has threatened to attack the White House in response to Donald Trump's warning that any strike on American interests in the region will bring massive retaliation.
‘‘We can attack the White House itself, we can respond to them on American soil. We have the power, and God willing we will respond at an appropriate time,’’ said Iranian MP Abolfazl Abutorabi.
He went on to say that ‘‘this is a declaration of war, which means if you hesitate, you lose. When someone declares war, do you want to respond to bullets with flowers? They will shoot you in the head, if you do that.’’
Trump has threatened to hit 52 critical targets in Iran if Tehran strikes any American interests in the region, upping the stakes after Iran said it had identified 35 targets for potential strikes and raised its red 'flags of revenge' over a key mosque.
‘‘If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!’’ Trump said. ‘‘The United States just spent two trillion dollars on military equipment.
We are the biggest and by far the best in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way...and without hesitation!’’ he said.
US has a heavy presence in the region apart from an air base in Qatar.
Meanwhile, slain general Soleimani's coffin was paraded through streets in Tehran, to furious chants of 'death to America,' after his body was flown back to Iran.
Pro-Iran factions in Iraq have ramped up pressure on US installations with missiles and warnings to troops. In the first hints of a possible retaliatory response, two mortar rounds struck Saturday near the US embassy in Baghdad, security sources said.
Almost simultaneously, two rockets slammed into the Al-Balad airbase where American troops are deployed.
