Baghdad denies approval or prior knowledge of US-Saudi strikes in Iraq
BAGHDAD – Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said on Thursday that Baghdad neither approved nor had prior knowledge of US-Saudi strikes on Iraqi territory, the state news agency reported.
Saudi Arabia and the US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq that they said were responsible for drone attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities.
Aboudi stated that the strikes were carried out without authorization or advance notice to Iraqi authorities.
Washington and Riyadh stated the operation was conducted in response to drone strikes aimed at Saudi oil facilities, which they attributed to Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq.
In the wake of the military action, Iraq’s Ministerial Council for National Security strongly condemned the operation as a direct breach of national sovereignty. The bombardment resulted in at least 18 deaths and left 20 others wounded among PMF personnel. As a direct diplomatic fallout of the incident, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled a scheduled official visit to Saudi Arabia.
“The government had no prior knowledge of the attacks carried out on Iraqi territory, nor has it granted any approval to carry out attacks on specific sites or targeted groups within Iraq,” Aboudi said.
Push for Diplomatic Solutions and Evidence
Addressing allegations that attacks against Saudi infrastructure originated from within Iraq, Aboudi noted that Baghdad formed specialized investigative committees to look into the claims. To date, those committees have found no supporting evidence to substantiate the charges.
Baghdad has formally requested that Saudi authorities share any relevant intelligence or security data so Iraqi forces can verify and act upon it independently. Reaffirming Iraq’s commitment to maintaining regional balance, Aboudi reiterated that diplomacy and bilateral dialogue remain the only viable paths to avert further regional escalation, adding that Iraq will not permit its territory to be utilized as a launching pad for attacks against neighboring nations.