Iraq arrests suspects in strike that killed French officer, Sudani tells Macron

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that Iraqi security forces have arrested those involved in the drone attack near Erbil that killed French officer Arnaud Freon, in a call that also covered the ceasefire, Israeli strikes on Lebanon and the two countries’ World Cup group stage meeting.

Sudani said the arrests “confirm the state’s commitment to strengthening law enforcement across all parts of Iraq,” and stressed the importance of sustaining the ceasefire “in a way that contributes to enhancing stability in the region and the world.” Both sides discussed Israeli strikes on Lebanon and their consequences for regional stability, emphasizing “the need to work to stop these attacks and protect innocent civilians.”

Macron praised Iraq’s efforts in supporting regional stability. In a lighter moment, he congratulated Sudani on Iraq’s World Cup qualification and expressed enthusiasm about a future match between the two countries — who were drawn together in Group I alongside Senegal and Norway.

Freon was killed in late March when two drones struck a base near Makhmur where French forces were training Peshmerga fighters as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State, becoming the first French military fatality of the regional war. Macron had described the attack as “unacceptable” and Sudani had committed to fully investigating the circumstances and strengthening protection measures for coalition forces in Iraq.