The government in Baghdad is a close ally of Tehran, but also a strategic partner of Iran’s arch-foe the United States, which has some 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition.
The government in a statement late Saturday said that it “reiterates its firm and unequivocal rejection of any violation of Iraqi airspace or its use in military attacks carried out by the Zionist entity against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
It called on the United States to “uphold its responsibilities … to prevent aircraft belonging to the Zionist entity from once again breaching Iraqi airspace to carry out such attacks”.
A senior Iraqi security official told AFP that Baghdad had also asked Tehran not to strike US targets in its territory.
“The request was made. They promised us positive things,” the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
