Blinken arrives in Baghdad amid threats

Shafaq News/ The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Sunday evening on a state visit.

A government source informed Shafaq News Agency that Blinken wasted no time upon his arrival in Baghdad and held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to discuss the developments and repercussions of the Gaza conflict and its impact on the region.

Later, the media office of Prime Minister l-Sudani confirmed in a brief statement that he received U.S. Secretary of State earlier today.

Before his arrival in Baghdad, Blinken visited Ramallah, where he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah threatened on Saturday night to spark an "unprecedented escalation" if Blinken visits Baghdad during his meetings in the Middle East.

While the schedule for Blinken's visit to the region does not list Baghdad as one of the locations he's set to visit, Shafaq news Agency reported that Blinken would visit the city on Sunday to meet with al-Sudani and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior leader of Kataib Hezbollah, warned that Blinken, who they referred to as "son of a Jew," was not welcome in Iraq.

The Kataib Hezbollah leader added that the group would work to "shut down American interests in Iraq" and would force the closure of the US Embassy in Iraq and prevent US citizens from entering the country in a "non-peaceful" way.

Iran-backed factions in Iraq and Syria have launched rockets and drones at bases housing US forces in the two countries in the weeks since the war between Israel and Hamas began.