Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ Al-Sudani is set to meet US President Joe Biden for the first time on Apr. 15. The purpose of Sudani’s upcoming trip to Washington is to discuss “common priorities and reinforce the strong bilateral partnership,” according to the White House. The visit signals a mutual readiness to forge a new era of cooperation. Indeed, even though costly and increasingly problematic, the Iraqi prime minister’s openness to negotiate new terms for the US presence gives him an upper hand in drawing conditions agreeable to all sides.

Baghdad is hoping for more constructive strategic engagement with the US that does not undermine its relations with Iran. The Kurdistan Regional Government, on the other hand, is anxious about a more modest American commitment that might leave it vulnerable to a political environment that is more favorable for Iran and its allies. As such, while there are no signs of an articulated common strategic framework...