Iraq’s Prime Minister tells US Secretary of State that Iraqi airspace must not be used for military action against neighbouring countries.

BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iraq must not be used as a launch pad for attacks in the ongoing Middle East conflict.

During a phone call on Tuesday, Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring that Iraqi airspace, territory, and waters are not used for any military action targeting neighbouring countries or the wider region, according to his media office.

The Prime Minister also rejected any attempt to drag Iraq into ongoing conflicts and condemned violations of its airspace by any party.

Iraq, a long-time proxy battleground between Washington and Tehran, was drawn into the war from the outset, with strikes blamed on the US and Israel targeting Iran-backed groups.

Those groups have since claimed attacks on US bases in Iraq and across the wider region.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Secretary Rubio strongly condemned terrorist attacks by Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.

Rubio urged Iraq to take all possible measures to safeguard US diplomatic personnel and facilities.

The call follows an incident on Saturday when air defence systems intercepted rockets fired at the US embassy in Baghdad.

US air defences now intercept drones almost daily over Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, which also hosts a US consulate complex.

 The Sun Malaysia