Rubio discusses transfer of ISIS terrorists to Iraqi facilities with al-Sudani

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani held a phone call Sunday to discuss the transfer of ISIS (Daesh) terrorists to secure facilities in Iraq.

"The Secretary commended the Government of Iraq's initiative and leadership in expediting the transfer and detention of ISIS terrorists to secure facilities in Iraq, following recent instability in northeast Syria. The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure countries rapidly repatriate their citizens in Iraq, bringing them to justice," the US State Department said in a statement.

The statement noted that the two also discussed Iraq's "ongoing deliberations" to form a government, underlining a "shared commitment" to ensuring that the country can realize its potential "as a force for stability, prosperity, and security in the Middle East."

"The Secretary emphasized that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq's own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq," it added.

On Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched a mission to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure that the terror group's members remain in secure detention facilities.

The mission began with US forces transporting 150 ISIS members from a detention facility in northeastern Hasakah province to a secure location in Iraq, with plans for up to 7,000 detainees to eventually be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.