US strikes on Iraq will lead to 'irresponsible escalation', PM says

An event is organized in Baghdad as part of the “102nd Iraqi Police Day”, on January 09, 2024 in Iraq [Murtadha Al-Sudani / Pool – Anadolu Agency]

Strikes by the United States on Iraqi military positions will lead to “irresponsible escalation” and violate the country’s sovereignty, the prime minister’s office said in a statement today according to Reuters.

The US carried out strikes against three facilities it says are linked to Iran-backed militia yesterday. Iraq will consider these operations as “aggressive actions” that undermine years of cooperation, the Iraqi government statement added.

“These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

Kataib Hezbollah military spokesperson Jaafar Al-Husseini said in a post on X that the group would continue to target “enemy bases” until the end of Israel’s siege in Gaza and singled out US support for Israel’s genocidal bombing campaign.

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— جعفر الحسيني (@jafaralhusane) January 23, 2024

READ: Israel: Iraqi group claims to have attacked port of Ashdod

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