Discussing U.S. sanctions against Iran, a senior Iraqi official remarked that "these are American sanctions and we have the right to protect our national interests. We tell them always: we are your friends but we are not part of your policies in the region". Referring to U.S. troops, the official indicated that "when the Iraqi side asks the American side to pull out, they will withdraw as they have done in the past... as the terrorist threat recedes, the U.S. will scale back its military presence in Iraq".