Iraqi speaker of parliament: US has ‘no justification’ for striking Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani said the United States has no justification for targeting Iraq the way it strikes the Houthis in Yemen.

“There are no justifications or actions from Iraq that would warrant its bombing by the U.S. like the Houthis,” Al-Mashhadani said in an interview with Dijlah TV.

He stated that Washington’s attacks on Houthi positions were an international decision because of their control over a major global trade route but argued that Iraq had done nothing to warrant similar treatment.

This week, the United States launched extensive airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. President Donald Trump authorized these strikes in response to ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route. Houthis, backed by Iran, have vowed retaliation.

Some excerpts of Al-Mashhadani in an interview on Dijlah TV:

The targeting of the Houthis was decided by the international community because of their control over a global trade route.

There are no justifications or actions from Iraq that would warrant its bombing by the U.S. like the Houthis.

The U.S. wants all weapons to be in the hands of the state only.

No one would gamble with Iraq, as it is one of the world’s energy reservoirs.

BP’s investment in Iraq proves that the U.S. has no ill intentions toward Iraq.

There are requests from American companies to invest in Iraq, which negates the existence of bad intentions.

Washington may extend Iraq’s exemption to import Iranian gas, as it is not in its interest to provoke the Iraqis against it.

Soft change is possible through elections by preventing certain figures from running.

The leaders of the political system failed because they expelled competent individuals, unlike what Iran did.

We did nothing to be bombed by the U.S. like the Houthis.