Iraq not party to regional war, government spokesperson says

BAGHDAD — Iraq does not interfere in the affairs of neighboring countries and rejects being used as a platform to harm them, government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi said Thursday, adding that Iraq is not a party to the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Al-Awadi told Al-Iraqiya that the current government has followed three main principles in its international relations since it took office.

“The first principle is non-interference in the affairs of other countries,” al-Awadi said. “The second focuses on rejecting that Iraq be a starting point or corridor to harm neighboring states, while the third stresses rejecting wars and adopting dialogue and negotiation as a way to resolve crises.” He said Iraq has also played a mediation role in regional relations.

“Baghdad has become a trusted station for conveying messages and reassuring international parties,” al-Awadi said, adding that the role had received praise from countries in the region and the international community.

Al-Awadi also said a recent meeting of Iraq’s top leadership reaffirmed the country’s strategic approach of maintaining neutrality and staying away from wars.

“The meeting of the four presidencies confirmed the strategic path of the Iraqi state in preserving neutrality and avoiding the paths of war,” he said.

He added that there is “full support from the presidency, the prime minister, parliament and the judiciary for the diplomatic and security measures taken by the government to protect the internal situation and spare the country the consequences of regional escalation.”

Since the war began Feb. 28, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. and allied positions across the region, while Iran-aligned Iraqi militias have claimed responsibility for multiple drone attacks inside Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Erbil alone has been targeted by more than 100 missiles and drones.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday that Iraq is being targeted by both sides in the war, saying Iraq “has become one of the countries directly affected by the continuation of the conflict, as it is being subjected to attacks from both sides of the conflict, placing it in the position of the affected party, not a participant.”