ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi foreign ministry on Thursday issued a statement in which it distanced itself from the actions of entities and individuals taking "unilateral actions" in the ongoing reigonal war, reiterating its lack of involvement in the conflict.

The statement said it comes as a response to a publication by the US embassy in Baghdad earlier in the day that asserted that "the Iraqi government has not prevented terrorist attacks in or from Iraqi territory."

"Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups may claim to be associated with the Iraqi government," the US mission wrote. "Terrorists may carry identification denoting their status as Iraqi government employees."

The PMF, officially under the auspices of the Iraqi state, contain pro-Iran factions that have repeatedly targeted US interests in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since the beginning of a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February.

"Iraq is not a party to this conflict and does not wish to be part of it, despite being one of the countries most affected by its security, economic, and political repercussions," the foreign ministry wrote. 

With Iran and its aligned militias targeting diplomatic and military installations across the country and the US and Israel bombing pro-Iran PMF components in return, Iraq holds the dubious honor of being the only country in the region to be repeatedly attacked by both sides of the conflict.

"The Iraqi government affirms that some entities or individuals may attempt, contrary to the state's directives, to take unilateral actions or exploit their positions or official capacities to carry out actions that do not represent official policy."

"Such individual actions or those perpetrated by limited groups are illegal and do not, in any way, reflect the role of the Iraqi government or its institutions."

The ministry further asserted that Baghdad is taking all steps to ensure the safety of diplomatic facilities in the country and "continues to take the necessary steps to ensure that Iraqi territory is not used as a launching pad for any hostile acts."

The use of Iraqi territory by pro-Iran factions has drawn regional condemnation, with a series of Gulf states and Jordan in late March urging Iraq to "immediately" stop attacks emanating from within Iraq's borders.

In a joint statement, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar condemned strikes attributed to Iran-aligned factions in Iraq targeting neighboring countries and infrastructure.