Baghdad invites Syrian president to summit, sparking political division in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Hadi Mizban/Francisco Seco/AP)

An official invitation to new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad has triggered sharp political divisions within Iraq.

Mr al-Sharaa took power after leading a lightning rebel offensive that unseated his predecessor, Bashar Assad, in December.