Iraq’s Foreign Minister conveys strong disapproval to U.S. ambassador over recent escalation

BAGHDAD, November 23 — Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein on Wednesday conveyed his government’s disapproval to U.S. Ambassador Alina Romanowski after a recent airstrike on a Popoular Mobilization Forces site south of Baghdad.

Hussein characterized the escalation as a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

A statement from the Ministry said:

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, received the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ms. Alina Romanowski, in his office in Baghdad on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. During the meeting, the Minister expressed his rejection of the recent escalation witnessed in the Iraqi arena over the past two days, describing it as a dangerous escalation that constitutes a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Iraq is committed to preserving its sovereignty in accordance with the constitutional and legal duties of the government.

The Minister affirmed the Iraqi government’s condemnation of the attack on the Jurf Al-Nasr area, which took place without the knowledge of Iraqi government authorities. He considered it a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and rejected it based on Iraqi constitutional sovereignty and international law.