US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged Iraq’s efforts to restore security after attacks on US diplomatic personnel and forces.
Militia violence against the US-led coalition fighting ISIS has been going on for months, although only a few of the attacks have claimed lives.
The US threatened to close its embassy in Baghdad if the attacks continued and the government did not stop or rein in the militias.
“We are happy that the Iraqis are doing more to provide increased security for our team,” Mr Pompeo said.
This week, a group of militias calling itself the Iraqi Resistance Co-ordination Commission announced a conditional ceasefire in return for a clear timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
“We have a rogue set of militias who have now promised not to violate the Iraqi people’s sovereignty, [not] to take aim at US diplomats serving there to help the Iraqi people,” Mr Pompeo said.
Mohammed Mohi, spokesman for Iran-backed the Kataib Hezbollah militia who announced the offer but did not state a deadline, said: "If America insists on staying and doesn’t respect the parliament’s decision, then the factions will use all the weapons at their disposal."
Mr Pompeo said the “Iraqi people have come to understand the malign activity that the Iranians are engaged in, including through the proxy forces".
The US embassy in Baghdad said it called on all parties in Iraq to return weapons to state control, act responsibly and focus on helping the government through the crises it is dealing with.
“Actions by militias operating outside of the control of the government put at risk all the work being done by Iraqis and the international community, and jeopardise attempts by the Iraqi government to attract international investment to Iraq,” a spokesman said.
The US and other partners in the international community were “focused on helping Iraq to deal with an economic crisis, a pandemic, and a highly unstable security environment", he said.
The attacks prompted Washington to consider shutting its embassy in Iraq. This led to concern in Baghdad that Iran’s influence there would increase.
Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr announced a series of peace pacts to restore security and ensure that foreign interference was eliminated.
Mr Al Sadr said the pacts support peaceful demonstrations to campaign for legal and social conditions that must be agreed to by tribal sheikhs and members of the broader Iraqi society.
“Those who wish to demonstrate must abide by the rules,” he said.
The cleric also said that protesters must not engage in "ways that would obstruct daily activities, such as closing roads and violating public spaces".
Anti-government demonstrations flared up last year as a reaction to poor public services, unemployment and foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
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Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
