Friday, the United States' allies agreed to boost the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Iraq, warning Washington during a meeting of their defense ministers in Brussels against unilaterally withdrawing from this country and Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "The security situation in Iraq remains a cause for concern, but NATO is ready to strengthen and expand its mission, and to train Iraqi forces."

There are currently 500 NATO members in Iraq within the framework of its mission, and the alliance has expressed its readiness to "increase the number and expand their missions, in consultation with the Iraqi authorities and the international coalition to fight the Islamic State."

"I cannot say at the moment how many will be. Planning will start, and the matter will be discussed at the next meeting of defense ministers in February 2021," Stoltenberg added.

After the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January, anti-American sentiment grew, which led it to suspend its operations within the international coalition and seek to reduce its presence in the country.

The Americans requested that NATO take over some of the training activities for Iraqi forces, which the international coalition carries out.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the coalition to reduce its number at the beginning of the year, but Stoltenberg confirmed that the mission has returned to work with "full capacity."

NATO intends to train Iraqi forces to fight ISIS and prevent its fighters from regrouping in Iraq. And the Americans will maintain a presence in the country to combat regulation.

The defense ministers also discussed the "resolute support" mission in Afghanistan. The mission includes 12,000 personnel, but the US desire to withdraw from the country following the conclusion of an agreement with the Taliban, and the continuing violence, pose serious problems to the coalition.

Stoltenberg warned that "a dilemma will arise in the coming months."

He explained, "Either we leave Afghanistan with the risk of losing all the gains and turning the country into a haven for terrorists, or we will remain, but that will represent a long commitment with the risk of clashing with the Taliban."

"We have to discuss this together and make decisions together," he added, adding that "the coming months will be crucial."

German Defense Minister Enigret Kramp-Karenbauer said on Twitter that "Germany maintains its commitments in Afghanistan. I still expect our partners to leave the country together and coordinate their actions in this regard."

AFP