Pompeo discusses US pullout from Syria with Iraqi PM

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has assured Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the US is still committed to fighting Daesh in Iraq and other areas despite its planned withdrawal of troops from Syria, the latter's office said on Saturday.

Abdul Mahdi and Pompeo discussed the withdrawal and Washington’s decision to grant Iraq a 90-day extension on a waiver from sanctions against Iran that would allow Baghdad to purchase electricity from Tehran, the Iraqi prime minister's office said in a statement.

President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, declaring on Wednesday they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed. The plan has drawn criticism from allies such as Britain and France who say the militants are not fully beaten.

"Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi received a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who explained the details of the upcoming withdrawal from Syria and affirmed the United State's is still committed to fighting Islamic State and terrorism in Iraq and other areas," Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement.

The Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Iran’s energy exports in November, citing its nuclear program and meddling in the Middle East, but has granted waivers to several buyers to meet consumer energy needs.

Washington gave Iraq a 45-day waiver for imports of gas from Iran when it reimposed sanctions on Iran’s oil sector on November 5. Iraqi officials have said they need around two years to find an alternative source.

Iraq relies heavily on Iranian gas to feed its power stations, importing roughly 1.5 billion standard cubic feet per day via pipelines in the south and east.