Iraqi leaders condemn 'sinful' US attack on Iranian-backed militants

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s Prime Minister and top Shiite religious leader have condemned the US attacks against  Iranian-backed paramilitary forces in Iraq and Syria, dubbing the strikes as “sinful.” 

US forces carried out attacks against five facilities belonging to the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group  in Iraq and Syria on Sunday , reportedly in response to repeated attacks on Iraqi bases hosting US-led coalition personnel, according to a statement from US Secretary of Defense assistant Jonathan Hoffman. 

Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) - an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias in Iraq that includes Kataib Hezbollah - released a statement announcing the deaths of 25 of their fighters in the attacks, which left 51 other injured.

Formed in 2014 upon Iraq’s supreme Shiite leader Ayatollah al-Sistani's call to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) advance in Iraq, the PMF was integrated into the Iraqi defence forces but is often  blamed for taking orders from Iran. 

The US strikes follow the death of a civilian US contractor and injury of several US service members and Iraqi personnel  following a missile attack on K1 military base in Iraqi’s northern province of Kirkuk on Friday.  

“Sinful attack”

Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Iraqi’s outgoing prime minister, headed an emergency meeting of Iraqi National Security Council following the US airstrikes.  

The meeting was followed by a statement from the PM’s office, condemning the “sinful attack.” 

“The Iraqi government condemns this act and considers it a violation of its sovereignty and a grave violation of the coalition forces’ rules of action, including the American forces, by carrying out operations without the approval of the Iraqi government,” read the statement. 

It added that the US depended on its own conclusions and political priorities rather than those of Iraqi government and people.   

Sistani also condemned the US strikes and called  on the Iraqi government to prevent similar actions by foreign countries. 

“The Supreme Religious Authority condemns this sinful attack which targeted a group of fighters who were affiliated to the Iraqi official forces, leading to the death and injury of a great number of them,” said a  statement from Sistani’s office.

Published on Sistani’s official website, the statement added that Sistani “emphasizes the need to respect the sovereignty of Iraq and prevent its violation under the pretext of responding to illegal practices by some parties.”

He called on the Iraqi government to prevent such attacks, to not allow the country to become an arena for “settling regional and international accounts” and prevent external intervention. 

Reviewing Iraq-US relations

Abdul-Mahdi, who submitted his resignation earlier this month due to pressure from nationwide protests to topple the current establishment, also said that his government may review its relations with the US-backed Global Coalition against Islamic State (ISIS) which has provided military support to Iraq against the group since 2014. 
 
“This sinful attack violates the goals and principles for which the Global Coalition is formed, which pushes Iraq to review the relationship and the security, political and legal work contexts in a way that preserves the sovereignty and security of the country as well as protecting the lives of its children and promoting common interests,” he said in the statement. 

Iraqi bases hosting US military personnel have been subject to a spate of attacks in the last two months. Iran-backed groups are suspected by the US and its allies to have conducted the attacks. 

The attack had already been condemned by some Iraqi political parties, with some warning against the future of bilateral relations. 

The deputy head of the PMF  Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a strong Iranian ally, warned of a “very tough” response to the US aggression.

Iraqi President Barham Salih and Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi have reportedly condemned the US attack, with the latter calling for the protection of foreign diplomats in the country. 

Iran’s reaction

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the US strike as "criminal" and claimed that the PMF now has the right to retaliate against  US troops.

“The expelling of US forces is a guarantor for the enduring stability of this Islamic State,” claimed the IRGC, referring to Iraq.

“The attacks showed that the US is the cause for tension, insecurity and chaos in the region,” it added.  

Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign ministry described the US strikes on its strong ally’s weapons storage facilities and command and control locations as “terrorism”.

“These attacks proved the false claim of the US in fighting Daesh… in a way that the United States targeted the forces that have inflicted heavy tolls on the Daesh terrorists in recent years,” ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told reporters on Monday, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. 
 
“With these attacks … the US shows its disregard for the independence and sovereignty of countries and must bear responsibility for the consequences of this illegal action.”

Accusing Iran of meddling in Middle Eastern affairs, the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018. It re-imposed crippling sanctions on Tehran six months later, in a bid to force an end to its support for militia groups across the region.

Iran, on the other hand, accuses the US of meddling in Iraq and Syria’s internal affairs, and says tension in the region is mainly due to the presence of a large number of US military personnel.

President Salih received Iran's ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjidi on Monday. 

They both “emphasized the relations and common interests of both Iraq and Iran and the need to strengthen their bilateral relations in order to serve the common interests of the interests of both nations," according to a statement published by the Iraqi Presidency.

Iraq's stability and "respecting the national will of Iraq" without foreign interference were also discussed.