“The continuation of war and its expansion toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and the violation of Iraqi airspace is completely unacceptable and rejected,” Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Baghdad.
“We seek to keep Iraq out of any war in the region,” Hussein said, calling on the regional actors to “take the conflict far” from Iraq.
Araghchi arrived in Baghdad on Sunday for high-level meetings with Iraqi officials. The visit comes amid increasing regional conflict as Iraq is trying to stay out of growing hostility between rivals Iran and Israel.
On October 1, Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel. Tehran said the missile attack was in response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah secretary general Hasan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan.
Israel has vowed to respond.
Hussein called on all sides to work to stop the ongoing conflict.
"We call on all countries to work towards stopping the war and call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to support the Lebanese and Palestinian people," Hussein urged.
Araghchi echoed Hussein’s remarks on stopping the war on Gaza and Lebanon.
“We are in consultations with friends to stop the Zionist aggression on Lebanon and Gaza,” he said.
The Iranian diplomat also expressed his happiness for Iraq’s stance.
“I am very happy to hear the Iraqi foreign minister and Iraq's stance on not allowing the violation of Iraqi airspace to attack Iran,” Araghchi stressed, adding that Tehran is not seeking an escalation of the conflict.
Hussein warned that the continuation of the war might lead to the re-emergence of groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS), as well as a possible global energy crisis.
“The outbreak of war may lead to an energy crisis and threaten shipping lanes," Hussein warned, with pro-Iran Iraqi factions threatening to cut off oil exports to Western countries if the conflict extends to Iraq.
Iraqi militia groups backed by Iran have joined in on the conflict, launching drones at Israel. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a shadow militia group affiliated with the IRGC, announced on Saturday that it launched drones against “vital targets” in the occupied Golan Heights. In a second statement, the group vowed to continue its attacks at an “escalating pace.”
These attacks by the militia groups have raised concerns that Iraq could be dragged into the war, something Iraqi officials say they want to avoid.
“Iraq is making every valuable and courageous effort, led by the prime minister and political leaders, to steer clear of any problems that may arise for the country and to protect its people,” national security advisor Qassim al-Araji told Rudaw’s Ziad Ismail on Saturday.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7 last year, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Israel responded with an invasion into Gaza, and then Lebanon.
The conflict started after the events of October 7, 2023 when Palestinian Hamas launched an attack on Israel killing over 1,100 people. This prompted a full-blown Israeli response on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 42,227 Palestinians, and additional operations in Lebanon and airstrikes in Syria.
Israeli bombardments have killed 2,255 people and injured 10,524 others in Lebanon, according to data compiled by the Lebanese health ministry. Nearly a quarter of the population, 1.2 million people, have been displaced, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said earlier this month.
Over the past several weeks, Iraq has welcomed more than 7,000 Lebanese nationals seeking refuge, according to figures from the Iraqi migration ministry.
