Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned this Friday that his country is facing “serious, clear, and tangible” threats from Israel, and that Baghdad has taken both internal and external measures to address these risks.
“The threat is real and evident. Iraq must not be dragged into war. These issues have been thoroughly explained to political and faction leaders, with the prime minister providing detailed briefings about the dangers of any actions taken against other countries from Iraqi soil,” Hussein said during his speech at the fifth Middle East Peace and Security Conference (MEPS24).
He also added, “Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has instructed the military to enforce strict measures against any groups using Iraqi territory to carry out attacks, while the government continues diplomatic efforts with influential Western capitals to prevent further escalation in Iraq.”
Factions aligned with the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) have been conducting near-daily attacks on Israeli targets over the past year. These groups have made it clear that such attacks will persist until the violence against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon is halted.
Tensions hike between Baghdad and Tel Aviv
Earlier this week, Prime Minister al-Sudani criticized Israel’s attempts to widen the conflict in the region. His remarks came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent a letter to the UN Security Council urging “action” against the Iraqi resistance and reaffirming Israel’s right to “self-defense.”
“Iraq rejects these threats. The authority to decide on war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi state, and no group can undermine that right. Iraq opposes entering into war and remains committed to its moral stance of seeking to end the conflict and provide aid to the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples,” Sudani stated, calling Katz’s letter “a pretext to justify attacks on Iraq.”
Government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi also told Sky News Arabia on Friday, “Iraq is facing significant security threats from Israel following the recent military escalation in the region.” He added that Baghdad is working to maintain internal stability by strengthening its security forces and enhancing coordination with neighboring countries to address these threats.
According to PMU-affiliated officials, the United States has been applying “strong pressure” on Israel to avoid retaliating against IRI-linked attacks in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese causes.
Additionally, the US military has increased its surveillance along the Iraq-Syria border to monitor the movements of IRI factions. Earlier this year, Kurdish forces in Syria, who are allied with the US, were accused of releasing hundreds of ISIS fighters in the border area near Iraq.
