Iraq rejects use of its territory for Iranian attacks on Israel

The Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA) movement announced on November 4 that the Iraqi government will not allow Iran to utilize Iraqi soil as a launch point for attacks against Israel.

HAAA is part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), which includes various Iran-backed armed groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, all of which are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the US, Caliber.Az reports per Iraqi media.

Ali Al-Fatlawi, a leader of HAAA, pointed out that American reports suggesting Iran's plans to use Iraq for attacks on Israel are misleading. He argued that these reports aim to depict Iraq as a passageway for attacks, similar to how the US has facilitated Israeli access to certain regions. This framing, he suggested, provides Israel with justification to target Iraq under the pretense of thwarting threats emanating from Iraqi territory.

Al-Fatlawi stressed that Iraq will not allow its land to be a battleground for any regional conflicts involving Iran or any other group. He asserted that Iran possesses advanced missile capabilities that can directly strike Tel Aviv, negating the need to use Iraqi territory for such operations. He characterized the US reports as attempts to complicate the existing situation.

This statement follows a report from The Wall Street Journal indicating that Iran had warned certain Arab nations of its plans for a significant retaliation against Israel. This comes in response to an Israeli attack that reportedly resulted in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers and one civilian.

On October 26, the Israeli military confirmed that it had targeted Iranian military sites as retaliation for missile strikes on Israel. Iranian officials characterized their missile attacks as retaliation for the deaths of their leaders and Revolutionary Guard members.

Iranian officials indicated that the military plans to respond more aggressively than before, with advanced weaponry aimed at Israeli military installations, suggesting a more potent retaliation strategy.

By Vafa Guliyeva