Response to US-Saudi aggression must protect Iraq’s sovereignty, deter future attacks: Analyst

By Press TV Website Staff

The recent US-Saudi military aggression against Iraq must not go unanswered, an Iraqi analyst says, stressing that any response must safeguard the country's sovereignty, uphold its national dignity, and deter future attacks.

Speaking to the Press TV website, Adnan Faraj al-Sa'edi, an Iraqi political analyst, writer, and head of Knooz Media, said that targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU), or Hashd al-Sha’abi, is “unacceptable and must be condemned” because the force forms part of Iraq’s formal security system.

“We call for Iraq’s response to be proportionate to the gravity of this heinous attack and to come within the framework of a responsible national decision based on the results of investigations and evidence, a decision that preserves Iraq’s sovereignty and dignity and prevents the recurrence of such attacks in the future,” he stressed.

The remarks came after joint Saudi-US strikes on positions of Hashd al-Sha’abi in multiple provinces across Iraq on Wednesday, which killed at least 20 resistance fighters and wounded 32 others.

The attacks targeted PMU positions in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala, prompting Iraqi government officials and the resistance movement itself to condemn the strikes as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and an attack on the country’s official security institutions.

Al-Sa'edi emphasized that Iraqi resistance groups had not claimed responsibility for any attack on Saudi soil from Iraqi soil and that Riyadh had not presented any conclusive evidence showing such attacks had originated from Iraq.

Iraq's top political coalition condemns US-Saudi strikes, says they endanger stability

Iraq

Saudi Arabia had earlier accused the resistance groups in Iraq of launching attacks on its oil facilities, despite the Iraqi government and the Iraqi resistance firmly denying such claims.

Al-Sa'edi said the attack required a clear, firm, and official response from the Iraqi government based on verified findings rather than assumptions.

“Respect for Iraq’s sovereignty requires the Iraqi government to deliver a response proportionate to this heinous attack, one that preserves the dignity of the state and the Iraqi people and affirms that Iraq is not a country that can be violated, and that its security and sovereignty are a red line that no party can cross,” he insisted.

Iraqi President Nizar Amedi condemned the military aggression as “an unacceptable act, a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and contrary to international law and the United Nations Charter,” while Iraq’s National Security Council reaffirmed the government’s rejection of all hostile acts and called for resolving disputes through diplomatic means.

Asked whether outside actors were seeking to push Iraq and Saudi Arabia toward confrontation, Al-Sa'edi said the region is grappling with conflicts in which regional and international interests have become intertwined.

Iraqi Islamic Resistance sets Aug. 7 deadline for Baghdad to respond to US-Saudi strikes

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq sets a deadline of August 7 for the Baghdad government to respond to the joint Saudi-US strikes on the positions of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) across the country.

"Any attempt to ignite a confrontation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia would not serve the interests of the peoples of either country, and its consequences could instead benefit powers seeking to weaken the region and keep it trapped in a cycle of conflict and tension," he said, referring to the US.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Iraq postponed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sa'edi further noted that the strikes could not be viewed separately from Hashd al-Sha’abi’s role within Iraq’s security establishment.

He said the force became an official component of the Iraqi security establishment after making significant sacrifices in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group. In 2016, Iraq’s parliament formally incorporated the PMU into the country's armed forces under the command of the prime minister.

“Targeting it (PMU) is regarded by many Iraqi citizens as an attack on an Iraqi security institution and a violation of the country’s sovereignty, regardless of who was behind the attack, which must be determined through official investigations and credible evidence,” he said.

He said security and sovereign decisions must remain in the hands of Iraq’s national institutions, adding that citizens view attacks on Iraqi territory with growing concern amid continued foreign intervention.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir