Baghdad and Erbil affirm rejection of using Iraqi territory as a launchpad for aggression against neighboring countries

The central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, today, Friday, emphasized their firm official stance rejecting the transformation of Iraqi territory into an arena for carrying out attacks against neighboring countries. This came during a phone call between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and the President of the Region, Nechirvan Barzani, where the two sides discussed recent security developments and threats to national sovereignty.

In separate statements, both sides affirmed the necessity of protecting border security and preventing any armed groups from using Iraqi depth as a launchpad for external military operations. The officials also expressed their categorical rejection of the repeated attacks targeting Iraqi cities and areas within the Kurdistan Region, considering this a blatant violation of international norms and regional stability.

This diplomatic move coincided with a series of military strikes targeting the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in northern Iraq. Field sources reported that the shelling targeted rear positions of these groups, amid accusations from Tehran that they were preparing for cross-border infiltration operations and implementing agendas serving hostile international powers.

In a parallel security development, the southern province of Basra witnessed the downing of four drones that targeted vital facilities, including Basra Airport and two oil fields. These incidents raise the level of concern among Iraqi authorities about the country sliding back into a spiral of regional proxy conflicts, after a period of relative stability witnessed on the local scene.

For its part, Tehran escalated its warning tone towards the Kurdistan Regional authorities, threatening to target all vital facilities in the region if it allowed the passage of opposition fighters towards its territory. The spokesman for Iran's 'Khatam al-Anbiya' headquarters, Ibrahim Dhul-Fiqari, stated that any cooperation for the stationing of hostile forces on the borders would be met with a firm and direct response from Iranian forces.

Reports indicate that the Kurdistan Region, which enjoys self-rule, is facing increasing pressure as a result of missile and drone attacks targeting various objectives. Iran accuses Kurdish groups stationed in the region of working for Western and Israeli interests, which has led to repeated strikes over the past years targeting camps and rear bases.

In a related context, media outlets circulated reports about American efforts to arm opposing Kurdish factions in the region to use them as a pressure tool against Tehran. These data further complicate Iraq's security landscape, as it strives to distance itself from the ongoing war between major powers and their allies in the region, and to maintain a policy of balance in its foreign relations.

Iraqi territory will not be a launchpad for attacking neighboring countries, and we reject attacks targeting Iraqi cities, including the Kurdistan Region.