BAGHDAD—Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani defended the presence of US troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, appearing less open to Washington at the start of his term than his Iran-backed political allies. There was a sign of a confrontational situation.
“We think we need foreign forces,” Mr Sudani said in his first US interview since taking office in Octoberreferring to the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization military contingents that train and support Iraqi units Fighting the Islamic State But largely stay out of the war. “Some more time is needed to eliminate ISIS,” he said.