Iraqi government expresses concern over potential regional escalation, praises Iran’s ‘patience’

BAGHDAD — Bassem Al-Awadi, spokesperson for the Iraqi government, expressed concerns on Monday about the risk of broader regional escalation amid ongoing tensions. Al-Awadi noted that despite the thirty meetings Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani held in New York, no clear path to de-escalation has emerged.

Al-Awadi highlighted the government’s success in preventing Iraq from being drawn into the conflict. He also noted that the reactions from some political parties and armed factions have been milder than anticipated, amounting to “less than 50% of what was expected.”

He also praised Iran’s “patience” during the ongoing tensions.

What the Prime Minister sensed in New York, during the five days and thirty meetings he held, is the absence of a path to de-escalation, and that the situation is moving towards escalation in the region. The Israeli entity’s Prime Minister, as described, ‘feels the arrogance of victory’ and realizes that the current circumstances were not available to any previous prime minister. Unfortunately, a pressing international consensus cannot be formed due to the absence of a firmly established U.S. president.

Since the early days following October 7, our view has been that the situation in the region will not stop at a certain point. It is true that the escalation has not reached the stage of full confrontation, but this scenario cannot be ruled out. Here, we must commend Iran’s patience, which has contributed to avoiding a wide regional war.

Iraq’s position on the crisis in Lebanon is defined by three tracks: political support, humanitarian support at the broadest levels, and media support. All of the Prime Minister’s meetings in New York began with discussions on Gaza and Lebanon, aiming to create pressure to prevent military escalation that could lead to regional war.

In Iraq, we are concerned about positions that are not framed within the official stance of the Iraqi state. However, the government understands the internal reactions, which are similar to the reactions of parties and armed factions in the 1960s and 1970s. These are a mix of religious and humanitarian positions linked to values of dignity, justice, and others. Currently, we are working to contain all reactions within the framework of the state’s position.

Given the circumstances in the region, it was expected that Iraq would become involved in this war. However, the Prime Minister’s efforts have created political balances that have helped reduce tensions. The active parties understood the Iraqi government’s position and have only acted at 40%–50% of their expected capacity. This is something we are working to maintain, especially with our confidence that our brothers are professional politicians who understand the risks Iraq faces in light of the brutality of the Israeli Prime Minister and his crossing of all red lines.

The law criminalizing normalization [relationships with Israel], passed by the Iraqi parliament, has placed some obstacles before Iraq’s commitment to the Arab League’s resolutions on solving the Palestinian issue. We reproached the Palestinian president when we abstained from supporting the League’s decision to endorse the two-state solution. This was explained by al-Sudani to Mahmoud Abbas, citing his government’s adherence to the legislations passed by the parliament. It is now up to the parliament and the foreign ministry to study the situation and find a legal adjustment for this case.