On Saturday the 23rd of November, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced visit to Iraq. This trip marks the first time Pence has travelled to the nation, with this visit serving multiple purposes. For American troops in the region, Pence’s visit served as a morale booster, with the Vice President and his wife Karen visiting al-Asad airbase in Anbar province and serving a Thanksgiving meal to the approximately 700 personnel on the base. However, Pence also used this trip to meet with Nerchirvan Barzani, president of the autonomous Kurdistan region, and called Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss local issues.

The main focus of the American Vice President’s visit appears to be the mending of strained relationships. Following the surprise announcement of President Trump that the United States would be withdrawing from northern Syria, there was significant pushback amongst the region’s Kurdish population. It appeared that the United States was abandoning its allies in the area in order to satisfy the desires of foreign leaders. Meeting with Nerchirvan Barzan was one such way for Pence, and the American government, to reassert its commitment to the Kurdish people. Reuters reports that in the meeting with Barzan, Pence wanted to “reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region”.

Pence’s phone call with the Iraqi Prime Minister focused on solutions to the current crisis in the nation, as well as allowing for discussion around ways to improve the relationship between the United States and Iraq. Speaking to reporters shortly after the call, Pence said “We spoke about the unrest that’s been taking place in recent weeks here in Iraq. He assured me that they were working to avoid violence or the kind of oppression we see taking place even as we speak in Iran.” Pence went on to say, “He pledged to me that they would work to protect and respect peaceful protesters as … part of the democratic process here in Iraq.” Since the beginning of October, hundreds have been killed during protests in Iraq. Earlier this month, the United States joined with the United Nations as they called on the Iraqi government to hold early elections, and “halt the violence against protestors”. Violence within the nation has killed at least 325 protesters and injured another 15,000.

While Pence’s trip is intended to help improve relationships and alleviate local issues, there is a worry that it may further inflame tensions. The surprise nature of the trip, which was unannounced in advance due to ‘security issues’, may draw major criticism from Iraq’s political leaders. The last surprise visit by an American leader was made by President Trump in 2018, and Iraqi politicians condemned this trip as a “flagrant violation of diplomatic norms”, and claimed it showed Trump’s “disdain and hostility in his dealings with the Iraqi government.” While there has not yet been such vocal criticism regarding Pence’s trip, it remains to be seen how it is interpreted. That the visit took place amidst major political demonstrations in Iraq could add fuel to the fire, as one of the major concerns protestors have is that their nation is being torn between two regional powers; the United States, and Iran. Pence’s trip and subsequent phone call with Adel Abdul Mahdi may feed into these fears.