ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi officials, clerics, and armed factions on Friday denounced Israel’s deadly airstrikes on Iran, warning that the escalating conflict risks dragging Iraq into a broader regional war that would undermine its fragile sovereignty.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said that the timing of the attacks, while diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States are ongoing, “weakens de-escalation efforts, but also reveals a deliberate intent to escalate and drag the region into a broader confrontation rather than prevent one.”
Sudani made his comments in a meeting with Steven Fagin, chargé d’affaires of the US embassy in Iraq, and Major General Kevin Leahy, commander of the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
During the meeting, Sudani reaffirmed “Iraq’s firm and unequivocal position that what occurred against Iran constitutes a blatant violation of international law and an act of aggression that undermines the foundations of the international order and threatens both regional and global security.”
Baghdad has accused Israel of using Iraqi airspace to carry out its attack. Sudani expressed Iraq’s “categorical rejection of the use of its territory or airspace to carry out or facilitate any acts of aggression against neighboring countries.”
Fagin and Leahy told Sudani that Washington played no role in Israel’s action. The two “affirmed the United States’ stated position of non-involvement in the attack in any form and expressed their country’s commitment to keeping Iraq out of the conflict, in accordance with the Strategic Framework Agreement signed between the two countries,” according to the Iraqi statement.
The Strategic Framework Agreement, adopted in 2009, outlines long-term bilateral cooperation between Baghdad and Washington across economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security sectors.
Early Friday morning, Israel conducted what it called a “preemptive strike” targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military commanders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation, dubbed Rising Lion, aimed to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” and warned that it could continue for days. Another wave of explosions has been reported in Tehran Friday evening.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that Iran responded by launching more than 100 drones toward Israel, activating its air defense systems.
Iraq’s Shiite al-Sadiqoun bloc, affiliated with the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, calling them acts of “criminality, treachery, and brutality” that killed Iranian leaders and scholars “in their homes and among their families.”
In a statement, the bloc urged the UN Security Council and General Assembly to take action against what it described as violations that threaten to ignite a region-wide war. It extended condolences to the Iranian people and called on Baghdad to prevent Iraqi airspace from being used for such attacks and to accelerate the development of air defense systems.
AAH, led by Qais al-Khazali, is designated a terrorist organization by the US and Israel over its alleged ties to Iran and attacks on US and coalition forces. Khazali is also part of the Coordination Framework, a key component of Iraq’s governing coalition.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, condemned Israel’s airstrikes, calling them a “criminal act” and urged international pressure to stop further aggression.
At least 86 people were killed and more than 340 injured, according to figures from IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency.
Sistani said the strikes, which killed scientists, military commanders, and civilians, including women and children, showed the “dangerous and aggressive nature” of Israel. He extended his condolences to the victims’ families and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.
Baghdad has submitted a complaint against Israel to the United Nations Security Council about its use of Iraqi airspace.
“Iraq affirms that these practices represent a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty and a transgression of the provisions of international law and the United Nations Charter,” state media INA reported, though it did not attribute the statement to any official.
“Iraq demands that the Security Council assume its legal and moral responsibilities and use its powers to deter the Zionist entity and prevent it from repeating such violations,” the report added.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke by phone with Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran, Nasser Abdul Mohsen, about the safety of Iraq’s diplomatic staff in Tehran, according to INA.
Hussein also instructed Mohsen to follow up “on the conditions of the Iraqi community residing in Iran, communicating with them to ensure their safety, and providing the necessary support in light of the current circumstances.”
Iraq views the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran with alarm, fearing its territory could again become a battleground. Baghdad’s official position - repeatedly stated by Sudani and previous leaders - is one of neutrality. Iraqi officials have urged all parties to exercise restraint,
de-escalate and pursue diplomacy. The stakes are high for Iraq, which hosts both US forces and powerful Iran-backed armed groups. Any retaliatory strike launched from its soil could provoke devastating responses which could undermine its sovereignty and threaten the country’s fragile stability, as it is still recovering from decades of war.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is part of Iraq’s armed forces but has close ties to Iran, announced the “cancellation of all events for the Popular Mobilization Forces celebration, which were scheduled to begin starting tomorrow, due to the martyrdom of a number of heroic commanders in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Saturday is Eid al-Ghadir, a Shiite holiday commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s appointment of Ali bin Abi Talib as his successor in 632. Shiites consider Ali the first imam and rightful heir to the Prophet.
Some Iran-aligned PMF factions have carried out attacks on US forces in the past, prompting retaliatory strikes from Washington. Others have launched attacks on Israel, leading to accusations that Israel has struck PMF positions inside Iraq.
Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on the Iraqi government to avoid involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. Condemning Israel’s attack, Sadr warned that Tehran would not be the only target “if the language of escalation continues.”
“The most important thing for Iraq is that the land of revered [religious] figures and their sanctities be safeguarded from the war, for Iraq and its people are needless of new wars,” he said.
Israel’s airstrikes have escalated tensions across the region and drawn international and global condemnation and calls for de-escalation. The US and some European countries emphasized the need to stop Iran’s nuclear program and defended “Israel’s right to exist.”
Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian group Hamas condemned the Israeli strikes as unlawful and warned they could trigger broader regional escalation and jeopardize diplomatic efforts.
