ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned and delivered a letter of protest to Iraq’s ambassador to the country, Safia Taleb al-Suhail, over recent attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries launched from Iraq.

The Saudi foreign ministry’s undersecretary for political affairs Saud Al-Sati “stressed the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and the Gulf states,” emphasizing the importance of Iraq “dealing responsibly with these threats and attacks,” the ministry wrote in a statement.

Sati affirmed that Riyadh “will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory.”

The warning comes as pro-Iran militias in Iraq have launched several attacks against US interests both inside and outside Iraq, attempting to support Iran during its war with the US and Israel.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states endured extensive Iranian bombardment during the conflict, currently on pause as Washington and Tehran have begun a tentative negotiation process

In a joint statement in late March, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar condemned strikes attributed to Iran-aligned factions in Iraq targeting neighboring countries and infrastructure, urging Baghdad to “immediately” stop the attacks launched from its territory, while reaffirming their right to self-defense.

A day after the joint statement, Iraq’s foreign ministry expressed its rejection of any attacks targeting Gulf states, stressing that the security of Arab countries is part of Iraq’s national security.

Iraq has been subjected to intense strikes from both sides of the US-Israeli war with Iran, owing to the presence of US military personnel in the country and pro-Iran factions.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of Iran-aligned Iraqi Shiite militias linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has launched hundreds of drones and missiles at US interests in Iraq and across the region during the conflict. 

A large number of factions operating within the Islamic Resistance enjoy an official security status and receive salaries from the central government as a part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). 

The Islamic Resistance on Wednesday said it will suspend its attacks against US interests in Iraq and the region for two weeks, concurrent with a temporary ceasefire announcement between Tehran and Washington ahead of their unsuccessful talks in Pakistan.