Iraq intelligence agency denies report it received warnings of imminent strikes

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Intelligence Service on Saturday denied a report by Asharq Al-Awsat claiming the Iraqi government received warning messages from an Arab country and a Western intelligence service about imminent military strikes on Iraq, calling the report false.

“Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published on Dec. 20, 2025, a report claiming that the Iraqi government received two warning messages from an Arab country and a Western intelligence service about the near exposure of Iraq to military strikes,” the agency said in a statement.

“While we deny the accuracy of what was stated in the above report in full and in detail, we confirm that the Iraqi government did not receive any message of this kind,” it said.

The agency urged media outlets to be accurate in reporting on matters affecting national security.

Asharq Al-Awsat had cited unnamed sources as saying Iraqi officials and political leaders were warned of possible Israeli strikes targeting institutions linked to armed factions, weapons depots, training camps and figures with military and financial influence. The report also claimed a Western intelligence service delivered a file containing information attributed to Israeli security agencies about armed groups operating in Iraq.

The intelligence service’s statement directly contradicted the account, saying no such warnings were received.