Iraq submits UN complaint over Israeli violation of airspace to attack Iran

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government on Monday announced it has submitted a letter of protest to the UN Security Council over Israel's "flagrant violation" of Iraq's sovereignty by using its airspace to attack Iran two days prior. 

“The Iraqi government affirms its firm commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty, independence, and sanctity of its lands, and is working at various levels to confront these aggressions, and stressed that it will not allow the use of Iraqi airspace or lands to attack other countries, especially neighboring ones that have respect and common interests with Iraq,” government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi said in a statement. 

Iraqi Shiite militia groups and politicians are voicing anger after Tehran accused Washington of allowing Israel to use Iraqi airspace to attack the country. On Saturday, the Iranian army said that Israel used US-provided airspace in Iraq to attack Iran. 

Iraq has in turn submitted a protest letter to the UN “which included condemnation of the flagrant violation committed by the Zionist entity by its aggressor aircraft violating Iraqi airspace and sovereignty,” according to Awadi.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has also directed the foreign ministry to present Iraq’s stance to Washington, Awadi added. 

Four Iranian soldiers were killed in the attack which Israel said was in response to Tehran’s attacks on Israel. 

Iran has directly attacked Israel twice. The first time was in April when Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones in retaliation for a deadly strike on its embassy that Tehran blamed on Israel. The second time was on October 1 in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander. 

On Sunday, prominent Iraqi Shiite politician Hadi al-Amiri said the US will be held “fully responsible” for violating Iraq’s airspace, accusing Washington of “giving Israel everything it needs to carry out attacks in the region.”

“The need has become more urgent than ever to end the American military presence in Iraq in all its forms,” Amiri stressed.

US forces are located in several bases around Iraq at the invitation of Baghdad, as part of the global coalition to combat the Islamic State (ISIS). The mission is scheduled to wrap up in September 2025.

Last month, the US and Iraq announced that they had struck a deal to end the military mission of the anti-ISIS global coalition within a year. American troops will continue to maintain a military presence in Iraq until 2026 to support the coalition mission in Syria, which will end in two years. 

On Sunday, pro-Tehran Iraqi militia group Kataib Hezbollah said that the US must face consequences for misusing Iraqi airspace.