Iraqi premier receives CENTCOM chief

ANKARA

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi received Tuesday United States' Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, his office said in a statement.

Following heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran in Iraq, this was the first time Abdul-Mahdi met with a senior U.S. military official.

Fighting terrorism and withdrawal of foreign troops from the country were among the key issues McKenzie and Abdul-Mahdi discussed during the meeting, the statement said.

During the meeting, Abdul-Mahdi stressed the importance of friendly relations between the two countries, solidarity in the fight against terrorism and preventing Iraq from turning into a conflict zone, according to the statement.

The U.S. killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Jan.3.

In retaliation, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. troops in Iraq on Jan. 8.