Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has revealed ongoing talks with the US to prevent Iraq from becoming a war zone.
Meanwhile, the “Iraqi Resistance Coordination” announced it will retaliate if the US uses Iraqi airspace to attack Iran.
The group, which hasn’t named its factions, made the threat following a recent attack on the Ain Al-Asad airbase by an unknown faction. The attack with two rockets injured several US soldiers.
It also follows a series of communications between Baghdad and Washington aimed at avoiding escalation and preventing a full-scale war in the wake of Iran’s threats to avenge the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
Baghdad has ramped up its actions against armed factions in its strongest stance since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced talks with the international coalition in February, which led to a ceasefire between the factions and US forces.
Hussein emphasized that the US has assured Iraq it will not strike unless provoked and that Iraq wants to avoid turning into a battleground.
“The Americans have officially informed us that they will not strike unless attacked,” said Hussein in a televised interview on Sunday evening.
“The Americans are not our enemies; we have historical and strategic relations with them,” stressed the minister.
Despite this, some Iran-aligned Iraqi factions view the US as an enemy, as shown by recent anti-US and anti-Israel signs in Baghdad.
The Resistance Coordination’s statement undermines the recent ceasefire and suggests Iraq might officially enter the conflict if Iran attacks Israel and Israel retaliates.
Washington has not yet commented on the recent attack at Ain Al-Asad, but it has expressed concern and warned of potential consequences for future incidents.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke with al-Sudani about avoiding escalation.
Iraqi authorities are investigating the attack on Ain Al-Asad and have arrested suspects for questioning.
