Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Washington has informed Baghdad Israeli strikes against Iraq were “imminent,” unless the Iraqi government manages to prevent Iran-backed armed factions from launching attacks against Israel, Al-Hadath reported on November 20, citing a source with knowledge on the matter.
According to the Saudi news channel, the United States told Iraq it had exhausted “all means of pressure on Israel,” and asked Baghdad to quickly take action to stop attacks on Israel.
Israel has faced hundreds of drone and missile attacks from Iraq since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October of last year, with the majority of these attacks being claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iran-backed factions.
Most of the IRI’s attacks were carried out using suicide drones, although land-attack cruise missiles were also used on several occasions.
One of the drones launched by the group hit a military site in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights on October 3, killing two Israeli troops and wounding more than 20 others.
On November 18, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on the United Nations Security Council to pressure Baghdad to end attacks by Iran-backed factions, warning that Israel has the right to defend itself under the UN Charter.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said during a cabinet meeting on November 19 that Sa’ar’s threat was a pretext for Israel to attack Iraq and expand the war in the region.
The Iraqi newspaper Shafaq later reported that Al-Sudani, who is also commander-in-chief of the Iraqi military, has directed security forces to prevent any military activity by factions not under government control. Still, the IRI said on November 20 that it had attacked two military targets in northern and southern Israel with drones. No losses were reported by Hebrew media.
Any direct Israel attack on Iraq could have serious consequences, not only for Israel but also for the U.S. who maintains more than 2,500 troops in Iraq and some 900 others in neighboring Syria. The IRI maintains a very strong presence in both countries.
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