Iraqi PM Sudani to Rubio: 'Iraqi airspace and territory must not be used against neighbors'

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani telephoned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deliver a direct message: Iraq must not be used as a staging ground or transit zone for military action against neighboring countries. Sudani stressed 'the importance of ensuring that Iraqi airspace, territory, and waters are not used for any military action targeting neighboring countries or the region,' according to his office. He rejected 'any attempt to drag the country into ongoing conflicts' and condemned 'violations of its airspace by any party' — a reference to both US/Israeli jets crossing Iraqi airspace and Iranian missiles and drones doing the same. The call came hours after the IRGC struck the US Al-Harir Air Base in Iraqi Kurdistan with five missiles. US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio 'strongly condemned terrorist attacks by Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region' and urged Iran to 'take all possible measures to safeguard US diplomatic personnel and facilities.' Air defense systems have been intercepting rockets fired at the US Embassy in Baghdad, and US defenses intercept drones almost daily over Erbil, which also hosts a US consulate complex. Iraq's position — officially neutral but hosting US forces under attack from Iran-backed militias — is untenable and becoming more precarious daily.