Iran urges Iraq to secure airspace after Israeli strikes

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Iraq to strengthen oversight of its borders and airspace after an Israeli strike killed senior Iranian military commanders and civilians.

The comments came during a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to the PM's media office. “We did not initiate the war, but we responded decisively,” Pezeshkian noted. “If these aggressions are repeated, more painful and crushing responses will follow.”

He also urged all countries that seek peace, security, and stability to take a clear stance against Israeli military actions, reaffirming what he described as a ‘’shared duty among Islamic nations to respond to ongoing acts of aggression.’’

In turn, Prime Minister al-Sudani extended his condolences over the deaths of Iranian commanders and civilians, expressed his solidarity with Iran, and strongly condemned the Israeli strike.

He also described Iran’s response as a legitimate defense of its territorial integrity, framing the Israeli action as a violation carried out by a regime rooted in occupation and repeated infringements of other nations’ rights.

Moreover, al-Sudani confirmed that Iraq had submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council regarding the violation of its airspace, noting that legal, political, and diplomatic efforts were already underway.