US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller speaking to reporters in Washington DC on November 25, 2024. Photo: State Department/screengrab
WASHINGTON, DC - The United States warned on Monday that Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq risk dragging the country into a regional conflict amid Israeli threats, adding that Washington has warned Baghdad about these “dangers.”
“Iran aligned militia groups inside Iraq risk destabilizing Iraq. They risk dragging the country into a regional war by conducting unsanctioned attacks both within Iraq and outside of Iraq's borders,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told Rudaw during a press briefing on Monday.
“We have a strong security partnership with the government of Iraq, and we have warned them about the dangers posed by armed groups acting independently and against Iraq's interests and we'll continue to do so,” he added.
In a letter to the Security Council last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar asked for “immediate action” against “attacks on Israel conducted by the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq” and to ensure that Iraq “fulfills its obligations” to “prevent the use of its territory as a base for attacks against other nations.”
Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said during a ceremony in Baghdad on Sunday that Israel has "threatened Iraq under baseless pretexts, exposing its hostile intentions. This necessitates our firm emphasis on preventing Iraq from being used as a platform for any attack."
On Saturday, the Iraqi government sent letters to the Security Council, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation “in response to the threats of the Israeli entity to attack Iraq.”
Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s foreign minister, warned on Friday that Israel has made “serious” threats that it would attack and said Baghdad has taken preventative measures at home and abroad, including speaking to Iran, to avoid being dragged into war.
Miller said every country has the right to defend itself, referring to Israel.
“But we have been, we have been trying, through diplomatic engagements, as well as through our deterrent activities to prevent an escalation of this conflict and to prevent other countries from being dragged into this conflict, and that, of course, includes Iraq, which is why we have been clear with the Government of Iraq, that it must do everything possible to prevent these types of attacks from inside its own borders,” he noted.
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