By Anas al-Bar | 2024-09-17

The Iraqi government has stressed that it stands against any attempts on the part of the Iranian regime's proxies to drag the country and region into a large-scale war and unduly influence the national decision-making process.

The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee (IRCC), a coalition of Iraqi militias affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has previously announced it stands with Iran.

The militias have threatened to escalate the violence and attack international interests inside Iraq and elsewhere in the region if Iran is attacked.

Iran-aligned militias have previously attacked bases in Iraq and Syria where international coalition and US advisory forces are stationed, including a deadly August 5 missile attack on Ain al-Asad base.

Iraq has expressed its readiness to support efforts that promote peace in the region, welcoming a framework agreement drawn up at an August 8 summit to end the Gaza war convened by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

In a televised interview broadcast August 11, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the Iraqi government is hoping for a reduction in regional tensions, which have a direct impact on Iraq.

Regarding the war in Gaza, he stressed that "Iraq does not accept to become a field for resolving regional conflicts."

Reducing regional tensions

"Iraq's position on the conflict in the Middle East is clear and is in favor of diplomatic efforts that ultimately lead to stopping the war," al-Mustansiriya University political science professor Issam al-Faily told Al-Fassel.

Since the conflict began on October 7, with an attack on Israel by Iranian ally Hamas, "the government has always urged the adoption of the option of dialogue to resolve all crises that threaten regional peace," he said.

The Iraqi government is working to prevent the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war into Iraqi territory, al-Faily said.

"There are intensive activities and contacts to push towards calm and reduce the intensity of tensions that harm the country's interests and its foreign relations," he said.

In response to the threats and actions of Iran-aligned militias, Iraqi clerics and leaders have urged the government to distance itself from the scourge of war.

They have called on Iran-aligned militias to respect Iraq's sovereignty and not violate its security for the sake of imposing the will of the Iranian regime.

The militias' continued actions in support of the Iranian regime's agenda endanger the country and the region and disrupt efforts by all international parties to establish permanent regional stability, they said.