Iraq Summons US & Iran Envoys After Deadly Strikes on PMF & Peshmerga
The Iraqi government has summoned the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires and the Iranian Ambassador in Baghdad to deliver formal protests over recent strikes targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region, respectively. The move follows an emergency meeting of the Iraqi National Security Council convened Tuesday, and a decision to grant Iraqi security forces, including the PMF, the right to respond to attacks on their positions.
According to a statement released by the Spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Nuaman, the National Security Council reviewed developments in the regional conflict and its repercussions for Iraq. The council affirmed that the Iraqi state, through its constitutional authorities, holds the sole decision-making power regarding war and peace, and will accept legal action against any entity attempting to infringe upon this right.
The PMF reported seven injuries and significant damage to its facilities following airstrikes that targeted a PMF brigade headquarters in the district of Beiji, Salahuddin province. Earlier on Tuesday, fifteen PMF members, including a commander, were killed in a strike attributed to the United States, targeting a PMF operations base in western Iraq, specifically the Al-Habbaniyah base in Anbar province.
Simultaneously, six Kurdish Peshmerga forces were killed in two ballistic missile attacks on the province of Erbil, authorities in the Kurdistan Region reported. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the Erbil attacks, Iranian state media has previously reported strikes targeting what it described as Israeli “strategic centers” in the region.
The Iraqi government’s decision to authorize the PMF and other security forces to exercise the right to self-defense and respond to attacks comes amid heightened regional tensions. Al-Nuaman emphasized Iraq’s commitment to establishing the best possible relations with regional and international partners, and to avoiding entanglement in regional conflicts. He stated that Iraqi security forces are fulfilling their national duty to maintain security and stability in accordance with the constitution and the law, and that this includes the PMF, which he described as a pillar of Iraq’s national security apparatus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has as well decided to file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council regarding the attacks, according to sources familiar with the proceedings. No immediate response was available from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad or the Iranian Embassy regarding the summons.