Iran's General Staff of Armed Forces on Saturday in a reported stated that a number of Israeli military aircraft used the Iraqi airspace controlled by the US military to fire long-range air-to-air missiles with extremely light warheads at Iran's border radar systems in Ilam and Khuzestan and some others In Tehran.
But the use of Iraqi skies, as expected, took place against Baghdad's will, and therefore the Iraqi officials strongly condemned this attack and reacted to the violation of their territorial integrity.
On Sunday, the Iraqi government officially submitted a protest letter to the UN Security Council and the Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres, which included the condemnation of the clear violation of Iraqi airspace and sovereignty by the Israeli regime and the use of this country's airspace for anti-Iranian aggression.
The Iraqi PM Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, according to media, instructed the foreign ministry to contact the US given the terms of the security pact with the US and the expressed American commitment to the Iraqi security and sovereignty.
Iraqi government's spokesperson said that Baghdad reiterates its emphasis on sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq, and will not allow any use of Iraqi airspace for attacks on others.
In addition, groups and figures in Iraq took stances against American violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
In this connection, Hadi al-Amiri, secretary-general of the Badr Organization of Iraq, in a statement condemning the attack on Iran, said: "The United States once again proved its insistence on dominating the skies of Iraq, acting against the interests, people and sovereignty of this country. The United States even proved that it is trying to serve the Zionist regime and help this regime to carry out aggressive actions and threaten the peace and stability of the region. Now more than ever, it is necessary to end any American military presence in Iraq."
Hezbollah Brigades, a paramilitary group opposed to the American presence in Iraq, in a statement said: "Using Iraqi airspace to strike Iranian facilities is a dangerous move that Iran has never faced before. There are also evidences that show that Jordan and the Hejaz desert in Saudi Arabia have been used as a passage for their Israeli fighters, and this will not be possible without the coordination of the United States, which dominates the skies of Iraq... The aggression against Iran by a rogue regime in the region is reckless and dangerous and should not be ignored under any circumstances, otherwise, this issue will become normal and this barbaric enemy will repeat it many times."
The head of Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr condemned the attack, saying that" any violation of Iraqi airspace and use of it by Israel for its terrorist war requires an immediate diplomatic and political response."
Sayyed Ammar Hakim, the head of National Wisdom Movement of Iraq, strongly condemned Israeli attack on Iran and called on the world community to unite and cooperate to stop Israeli violence and expansionism that violate the UN charter and international laws.
Iraq needs independent air defense
Given the escalation of tensions in the region and the abuse of the Iraqi airspace by the US and Israel, the vacuum caused by absence of air defenses protecting Iraqi airspace may become a heated debate in Iraq's public and political circles.
In recent years, the Iraqi government has taken steps to strengthen the defense base and inked agreements with some countries, but these agreements have not been implemented so far.
Mohanand Ghalib al-Asadi, Iraq's air defense commander, announced in September a contract to purchase defense systems from South Korea. He said that this system is highly advanced, and Iraq made a deal to purchase several batteries of it to ensure the security of its airspace. This system will enter Iraq in the coming years, he said, and it financing will be done in stages. The system provides high capabilities in protecting national sovereignty and airspace against any attacks, he said.
Despite the efforts of Iraq and the allocation of funds for this military project in the budget bill, the US is obstructing the process, and it is yet unclear whether Washington will agree to release Iraqi money for payments to this project whose aim is to counter American and Israeli escalatory actions.
The Iraqi air force announced in September 2022 that it received the first French GM400 radar from the French defense company Thales. This radar detects a bomber or a fighter jet from a range of 450 kilometers and a cruise missile from a range of 250 kilometers, and also has the ability to scan up to a height of 30 kilometers from the ground.
The important term in this contract was that the Iraqi armed forces have no involvement in the operation of this system and that French officers operate it. Since France is also on a single front with the US and Israel, it is obvious that it will not react to the fighters of its allies.
History has shown that the occupiers always consider their own interests and the establishment of defense systems under their control cannot serve the security, defense independence and public interests of the Iraq.
Since the hostilities of the US and Israel have no limits, Iraqis should roll up their sleeves and think of a solution to defend their national security instead of relying on the empty promises of the West.
Now, the national security of Iraq is not separate from the national security of Iran, and the unity of the two neighbors, as some analysts describe it, is like a rosary cord that holds the beads together.
When ISIS terrorist group emerged in 2014, Iranian forces commanded by General Qassam Soleimani fought the Western-backed group beside the Iraqi forces and did not allow it to take even an inch of Iraqi soil. Now, the Iraqis should have the same view to the American and Israeli abuse of their airspace for anti-Iranian actions.
Time of settling the scores with the US
Although Iraqi government's reaction to the violation of territorial sovereignty of Iraqi in the attack on Iran was important, it needs to think ways to prevent further violations in the future.
The experience of the past two decades has proven that the main cause of insecurity and instability in Iraq is the US itself, which continues its occupation under various pretexts.
Iraqi parliament passed a bill to expel American forces in January 2020, but due to lack of a political resolve, this resolution is yet to be implemented. But entry of the Israeli fighters into Iraqi airspace in coordination with the US presented a wakeup call to the Iraqi political factions to more seriously pursue expulsion of the American military.
Although Washington officials have apparently agreed to completely withdraw from Iraq according to a timetable, in practice they refuse to fulfill their obligations with numerous under the ruse of various excuses.
Relocating their forces inside Iraq, the American officials claim they withdrew a majority of their forces and only a small number remain on the Iraqi soil for advising duties at Baghdad's request. This is while the documents and reports published by Iraqi members of parliament and resistance groups prove that thousands of American combat forces are present in Iraq and have even created new fortifications, especially in Ain Al-Asad base in Al Anbar province.
The interesting point is that the US has a paternalistic and domineering view of Iraq in terms of military presenc and and this reality once again showed itself in Israel air attack on Iran.
Though other Arab countries host American bases, they closed their airspace to Israeli fighters after Iranian warning against threats on its sovereignty, but when it came to Iraq, the White House violated Iraqi sovereignty and prepared Iraqi airspace for Israeli aggression despite awareness of Iraqi opposition.
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