Washington:US State Department said that any US officials going to Iraq would not discuss US forces' withdrawal, rejecting the Iraqi government's earlier request that the two sides start to work on such a process.
"At this time, any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership -- not to discuss troop withdrawal, but our right, appropriate force posture in the Middle East," state department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Friday.
US military presence in the country is to continue the fight against the Islamic State and to protect Americans, Iraqis and coalition partners, the statement said.
Read Also: US House passes resolution limiting Trump's power to carry out military action
The statement followed a phone conversation earlier in the day between Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which the former requested Washington to send delegates to Iraq to lay down mechanisms for implementing the Iraqi parliament resolution to withdraw forces safely from Iraq, according to Iraqi government.
The phone call came amid immense tensions between Iran and the United States on Iraqi soil.