Iraq Steers Clear of US Retaliation for Ain al-Asad Attack

A military trainer from the international coalition shakes hands with an Iraqi soldier in a training camp (CENTCOM file photo)
A military trainer from the international coalition shakes hands with an Iraqi soldier in a training camp (CENTCOM file photo)
TT

Iraq Steers Clear of US Retaliation for Ain al-Asad Attack

A military trainer from the international coalition shakes hands with an Iraqi soldier in a training camp (CENTCOM file photo)
A military trainer from the international coalition shakes hands with an Iraqi soldier in a training camp (CENTCOM file photo)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that Iraq successfully used diplomatic channels to prevent a potential American response to the attack on the Ain al-Asad base, which hosts advisors from the US-led international coalition.

In an interview with Al-Hadath channel, Hussein confirmed that Baghdad had managed to stop Washington from retaliating against the attack on the base.

He also said that ongoing discussions between Baghdad and Washington regarding the withdrawal of coalition forces are influenced by regional circumstances, heightened tensions, and the possibility of conflict, which have significantly changed the status quo.

The Iraqi minister added: “We are taking both internal and external steps to avoid war. Pushing toward war is dangerous, and both the government and political parties are fully aware of this.”

He stressed that the government and parliament hold the authority over decisions of war and peace, reiterating Iraq’s commitment to safeguarding foreign advisors and diplomats.

The Iraqi military base, which hosts American advisors, was struck by two rockets launched by an unidentified group calling itself the “Revolutionaries.”

Security forces arrested individuals believed to be involved in the attack after seizing the rocket launch pad. However, within a week, the authorities announced their release, over what they said was insufficient evidence.

The United States announced that several American soldiers stationed at the base as part of the international coalition's mission in Iraq were injured.

On Thursday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry stated that Baghdad had decided to postpone the announcement of the end of the international coalition’s mission due to the “recent developments.”

Iraqi media reported that the Iraqi Prime Minister had been preparing to announce the coalition’s withdrawal from the country. This was confirmed by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a meeting with journalists in Baghdad, where he said: “The international coalition was scheduled to withdraw according to a timeline agreed upon by both parties, if not for the bombing that targeted the Ain al-Asad base.”



EU Urges Immediate Halt to Israel-Hezbollah War

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, left, meets with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, right, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, left, meets with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, right, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
TT

EU Urges Immediate Halt to Israel-Hezbollah War

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, left, meets with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, right, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, left, meets with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, right, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to Lebanon on Sunday, as the group claimed attacks deep into Israel.  

The Israeli military said Iran-backed Hezbollah fired around 160 projectiles into Israel during the day. Some of them were intercepted but others caused damage to houses in central Israel, according to AFP images.  

A day after the health ministry said Israeli strikes on Beirut and across Lebanon killed 84 people, state media reported two strikes on Sunday on the capital's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Israel's military said it had attacked "headquarters" of the group "hidden within civilian structures" in south Beirut.

War between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in late September, nearly a year after the group began launching strikes in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas following that group's October 7 attack on Israel.

The conflict has killed at least 3,754 people in Lebanon since October 2023, according to the health ministry, most of them since September.  

On the Israeli side, authorities say at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have been killed.  

Earlier this week, US special envoy Amos Hochstein said in Lebanon that a truce deal was "within our grasp" and then headed to Israel for talks with officials there.  

In the Lebanese capital, Borrell held talks with parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts on behalf of ally Hezbollah.

"We see only one possible way ahead: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701," Borrell said.  

"Lebanon is on the brink of collapse", he warned.  

Under Resolution 1701, which ended the last Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006, Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only armed forces present in the southern border area.  

The resolution also called for Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, and reiterated earlier calls for "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon."