Referring to the U.S. and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat, Sudani said that the foreign forces are still needed. “Elimination of ISIS needs some more time,” he said in the interview.

Sudani, who took office last October, told the Wall Street Journal that he planned to send a high-level delegation to Washington for talks with U.S. officials next month, adding that Iraq would like similar relations with Washington to those enjoyed by Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf oil and gas producers.

“I don’t see this as an impossible matter, to see Iraq have a good relationship with Iran and the U.S.,” Sudani told the newspaper.

There are currently around 2,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and another multinational training force under NATO command. Around 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria.

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