Baghdad (TDI): Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iraqi territory must not be used as a base for attacks in the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions following massive strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states. Within hours, Iraq’s skies were crowded with fighter jets and missiles from multiple directions.
During a phone call with Rubio, Sudani emphasized the “critical importance of keeping Iraqi airspace, land, and waters free from any military operations aimed at neighboring countries or the broader region,” according to his office. He firmly rejected any attempts to involve Iraq in the fighting or to violate its sovereignty.
Iraq, often caught in the proxy struggles between Washington and Tehran, has already seen its territory affected. US and Israeli strikes have targeted Iran-backed militias, which have retaliated with attacks on American bases both inside Iraq and in nearby areas.
Read More: Iran Says Missile Strikes Will Continue, US Talks Off the Table
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio “strongly condemned terrorist attacks by Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan region,” and urged Iran to take “all measures necessary to protect US diplomatic personnel and facilities.”
Read More: Australia Grants Asylum to Five Iranian Women Footballers
Recently, Iraqi air defense systems intercepted rockets aimed at the US embassy in Baghdad. In Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, US air defenses are now regularly intercepting drones near the consulate complex.
