Iraq complains to UN over Israel using its airspace to attack Iran

Tehran has accused the US of allowing Israeli jets to fly over the neighbouring country

This handout picture released by the Israeli army on October 26, 2024, shows an Israeli fighter jet departing a hangar at an undisclosed location in Israel. AFP

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Iraq lodged a complaint to the UN on Monday over Israel's use of its airspace to strike Iran, describing it as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

“The Iraqi government affirms its firm commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty, independence, and sanctity of its lands, and is working at various levels to confront these aggressions,” government spokesman Basem Al Awadi said. He stressed that “it will not allow the use of Iraqi airspace or lands to attack other countries, especially neighbouring ones that have respect and common interests with Iraq”.

Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday in retaliation for the ballistic missiles Tehran fired at the country earlier this month. Four Iranian soldiers and a civilian were killed in the bombardments, which analysts said struck ballistic missile production centres in several provinces.

Mr Awadi said the letter filed to the UN Security Council “included condemnation of the flagrant violation committed by the Zionist entity by its aggressor aircraft violating Iraqi airspace and sovereignty”.

The UN Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the Israeli strikes on Iran. The meeting was requested by Iran with the support of Algeria, Russia and China.

Iran's mission to the UN on Saturday accused the US of allowing Israel to use Iraq's airspace to carry out the attack. Washington has several bases around Iraq, at the invitation of Baghdad, where it maintains about 2,500 troops as part of a global coalition to fight the Islamic State. The US mission is scheduled to end by September next year.

“Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the US military,” Iran's UN mission said on X after the attack. Washington has denied any involvement in the Israeli strike on Iran.

“We are sure that no neighbouring country has given its territory to an aggressor, and the Iraqi government must consider itself committed to reacting and protesting the misuse of its territory,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said. He also warned that Tehran would use “all available tools” to respond to the Israeli attack.

Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq have also directed their anger towards the US, accusing it of allowing Israel to attack Iran through Iraqi airspace, and repeating demands for the expulsion of American forces from the country. On Sunday, Kataib Hezbollah said, “America must pay the price for their recklessness in using Iraqi airspace.”

“The Zionists will not be exempt from this, for after daring to attack Iran, they will certainly dare to attack Iraq, if they do not pay a heavy price for their aggression,” a statement from the group read.

Hadi Al Amiri of the Badr Organisation on Sunday also called for the US to be held “fully responsible” for breaching Iraqi airspace. “The need has become more urgent than ever to end the American military presence in Iraq in all its forms,” he said.

Mr Awadi did not directly accuse the US of involvement but did note that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani had also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present its stance to the US.

The US and Iraq announced last month that they had reached a deal to end the mission of the anti-ISIS coalition within the next year.

Tehran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel in October in what it said was in retaliation for the assassinations of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Since the attack, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited several countries in the region and said he had received guarantees that neighbouring states would not allow the use of their “soil and airspace” for Israel to retaliate.