ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday announced it had submitted letters to several regional and international bodies regarding Israel’s reported plans to launch attacks against Iraq, urging “concentrated” efforts to stop the Israeli aggression.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar urged the council to take “immediate action” to address the growing strikes by Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq on Israeli territory, calling the Iraqi government “responsible” for the attacks.

The Iraqi government rejected the Israeli complaint, labeling it a “mere excuse” to justify the Israeli regime’s plans to expand the scope of the conflict, and calling the letter “nothing more than “announcement of imminent direct attacks” against Iraq.

The Iraqi foreign ministry said it submitted matching letters to the UN Security Council, the Arab League, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the Israeli “threats”.

“The ministry stressed that Iraq is key to stability in the regional and international environment and is one of the most committed countries to the principles of the UN Charter,” read the statement.

“The Iraqi letters pointed out that the Israeli entity's letter to the Security Council is part of a systematic policy to create allegations and pretext aimed at expanding the conflict zone in the region,” it added.

The foreign ministry said Iraq’s resort to the Security Council comes out of its keenness for the council to play its role preserving international peace and security, stressing the need to take necessary measures to oblige Israel to stop its aggression in the region.

It added that Iraq practiced self-restraint when it comes to using its airspace for attacks on a neighboring country - referring to Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace for its October strikes on Iran -, emphasizing the need for international interference to stop Israel’s “hostile” behavior.

The Iraqi government in late October submitted an official protest note to the United Nations over Israel’s use of Iraq’s airspace for its attack on Iran, describing it as a “flagrant violation.”

“Iraq calls for concerted international efforts to stop the Israeli escalation in the region and ensure respect for international laws and conventions, in a way which contributes to enhancing security and stability in the region,” the foreign ministry concluded.

Iraq has so far managed to shield itself from the conflict's direct effects, but continued attacks by pro-Iran Iraqi armed factions against Israeli targets have raised concerns of a potential Israeli retaliation. The government has said in multiple recent statement that it is working on preventing and pursuing any military activity outside the state's control.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella network of Iran-backed armed groups, has claimed hundreds of attacks against Israeli and American targets since October 2023 in response to the war in Gaza.

The group has intensified its attacks on Israeli territory in recent months following the killing of several “Axis of Resistance” leaders in Israeli strikes.

 
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and 24 others wounded in an attack on the annexed Golan Heights launched from Iraq in early October.