PM Al-Sudani urges dialogue with Syria’s Al-Sharaa, Abdi as Iraq moves to lock down border

Shafaq News– Baghdad (Updated at 01:03)

Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday urged restraint and dialogue in Syria during separate calls with the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, and Syria’s transitional President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as Baghdad moved to reinforce border security amid escalating violence across the frontier.

In a phone call with Abdi, Al-Sudani stressed the need to anchor dialogue at a sensitive moment to safeguard the rights of all Syrian components, preserve the country’s unity, and prevent militants from exploiting instability, particularly attempts to free detainees or undermine security in Syria and Iraq.

The call followed an earlier conversation with Al-Sharaa, during which both leaders reviewed developments in Syria and agreed on the importance of securing the shared border and intensifying coordination against ISIS remnants. Al-Sharaa said Damascus is committed to securing the shared border, praised Iraq’s measures, and called for closer bilateral coordination, particularly on border protection, pursuing remaining ISIS cells, and reopening border crossings.

Separately, Al-Sudani issued military orders instructing commanders to respond decisively to any attempt to breach the border and to fully support Kurdistan Region border forces, including the Peshmerga. This followed days of fighting across northern and eastern Syria. The SDF has reported losing control of Al-Shaddadi prison in Hasakah after repeated attacks by government-aligned factions, while the Global Coalition patrols have entered Al-Aqtan prison following clashes near the site.

Read more: Syria’s calm: An end to threat or a start of a complex security phase for Iraq?