Iraq condemns Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia in call with Riyadh

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein condemned Houthi attacks on civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia on Thursday and reaffirmed that Baghdad would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks on the kingdom or other countries in the region.

Hussein made the remarks in a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The two discussed regional developments and efforts to reduce tensions, and Prince Faisal expressed Saudi support for Baghdad’s efforts to ease tensions and strengthen security and stability.

The call came a day after government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi denied that the Houthis have offices in Iraq, saying authorities had no officially registered headquarters belonging to the Yemeni movement. A Houthi-linked office has been reported in Baghdad’s Jadriya district, though its formal status remains unclear.

At a briefing in Riyadh on Oct. 15, the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including King Khalid International Airport, where a strike on Oct. 10 killed 12 people. Iraqi lawmaker Hamed al-Mousawi later demanded an inquiry into an Iraqi officer’s presence at the briefing, raising questions about Iraq’s position on the war in Yemen.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Oct. 14 that Iraq would not let its territory be used for attacks on Saudi Arabia, on a visit he had called off in July after U.S.-Saudi airstrikes on Popular Mobilization Forces sites in Iraq.

Relations between Baghdad and Riyadh were strained in September, when drones struck a Saudi oil pipeline. Iraqi authorities said they had found the drone launch platform inside Iraq, and the government said investigations to identify those responsible were continuing.

Hussein and Prince Faisal also spoke on Sept. 12, after the pipeline attack, when Hussein reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to Saudi security and the two agreed to maintain coordination on regional developments.