Above photo: INA.
Israel awaits the Iranian response to its escalation in the regional war.
US officials are demanding Baghdad ‘exert control’ over local resistance factions.
Iraq’s Ministerial Council for National Security on 6 November denied western media reports that say Iran is “planning a significant attack against Israel from Iraqi soil,” calling the claims “false pretexts” intended to “justify” violating Iraqi sovereignty.
“Iraq’s national interests demand distancing its land and airspace from the hostilities fueled by Israel’s expansionist and aggressive policies toward nations and peoples in the region,” the statement says.
It also reiterates “Iraq’s steadfast support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples in their struggle and condemned the acts of genocide committed by the Israeli regime against them.”
On Tuesday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid cited “Israeli and US intelligence” sources as claiming that the Iranian response to Israel’s escalation on 25 October would include a “joint attack” with Iraqi resistance movements.
“The officials said that since the Israeli attack, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have been moving drones and ballistic missiles to Shia militias in Iraq and have been planning a joint attack against Israel,” Ravid said.
Iraqi resistance groups operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) umbrella have been regularly launching attacks against Israeli cities and military positions in support of Palestinians in Gaza. The groups have also launched regular attacks against US occupation bases in Syria, prompting Washington to deploy significant reinforcements.
On Wednesday, the resistance factions launched multiple drone attacks against targets in southern Israel and the port city of Haifa.
Outgoing US State Secretary Anthony Blinken on Tuesday told Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani that Baghdad must “fulfill its commitments to protect US personnel in Iraq and Syria, including from attacks by Iran-aligned militias.”
“The Secretary emphasized it is important that Iraq not be drawn into regional conflict and underscored the need for Iraq to exert control over armed groups launching unauthorized attacks from its territory,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Israeli fighter jets used US-controlled airspace over Iraq in late October to strike targets inside the Islamic Republic. The move drew strong condemnation from Baghdad, as Washington reportedly acted unilaterally in allowing Tel Aviv access to Iraqi airspace.
“[We] will not allow the use of Iraqi airspace or lands to attack other countries, especially neighboring countries that have relations of respect and common interests with Iraq,” officials in Baghdad said.