WASHINGTON, Nov 17: The US State Department has summoned the ambassadors to the United States from most nations in the Middle East for a briefing on plans for Iraq’s transition to self-rule, officials said.

William Burns, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, was to speak to envoys or their chief deputies from 15 of the 17 countries covered by his bureau, the officials said.

Iran and Libya, with which Washington does not have diplomatic relations, will not be represented at the meeting, the officials said.

“It’s planned as a briefing on recent developments in Iraq, but I’m sure that the Israeli-Palestinian situation will also come up,” one official told said.

The envoys were summoned following weekend announcements in Baghdad about the accelerated timeframe for returning sovereignty to Iraq amid a new surge in attacks against US-led forces now occupying the country.

“We want to make sure everyone in the region is up to speed on this,” a second official said. —AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

MATTERS have worsened in the stand-off between the Azad Kashmir government and the Joint Awami Action Committee,...
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....
Soft on traders
08 Jun, 2026

Soft on traders

THE Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200m has been designed as a ‘pragmatic...
Ceasefire in name
Updated 08 Jun, 2026

Ceasefire in name

Both sides accuse the other of violating the truce that was supposed to halt the conflict in April, yet neither appears willing to abandon negotiations altogether.
Damaged childhoods
08 Jun, 2026

Damaged childhoods

CHILD abuse is so prevalent that the UN ranked Pakistan as the least safe country for children. Even so, more than...