
US President Joe Biden will host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House on July 26, the White House said on Friday.
The meeting comes at a pivotal point in the US-Iraq relationship, and amid growing concerns about more frequent attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria.
There have been at least eight drone attacks targeting the US presence since Biden took office in January, as well as 17 rocket attacks.
The attacks on US forces have been blamed on the Iranian-backed militias.
Kadhimi’s visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the two countries and advance bilateral cooperation under a 2008 agreement that governed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Psaki listed areas of shared interest such as energy and health and said Biden looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Iraq on "security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat" of ISIS.