US Ambassador to Iraq denies US control over Iraqi airspace
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, US Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, denied any claims that the United States exercises control over Iraqi airspace, stressing her country’s stance against violations of American sanctions by Iraq in its energy imports from Iran.
Speaking at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum held in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, She asserted that “the United States did not participate in Israel's attacks on Iran,” reiterating that "Iraq is a sovereign nation, and we have not imposed our control over its airspace."
On Saturday, Iran’s armed forces revealed that Israel used airspace controlled by the US military in Iraq to launch strikes on Iranian territory.
The Iraqi government announced on Monday that it has submitted an official protest to the United Nations Secretary-General and the UN Security Council, condemning what it described as a “blatant violation” by Israeli aircraft, which allegedly breached Iraqi airspace and sovereignty to conduct an attack on the Islamic Republic on October 26.
During to Forum, the US Ambassador, also stressed the importance of maintaining sanctions on Iran, specifically concerning payments for Iranian gas supplies to Iraqi power plants.
"There are sanctions imposed on Iran, and we do not want any party to violate those sanctions or transfer funds to Iran," Romanowski stated, stressing Washington's position on financial dealings with Tehran.
Romanowski also urged Iraq to continue expanding its energy grid connections with neighboring countries as an alternative to Iranian imports, stating firmly that, "Iraq should not bypass US sanctions on energy imports from Iran, even under the pretext of electricity shortages."
On the presence of US forces in Iraq, Romanowski clarified that American troops remain in the country to combat the remnants of ISIS. However, she acknowledged that Baghdad has chosen to shift the US-Iraq relationship from a military focus to other areas. The United States, she said, “is committed to empowering Iraqi forces to take the lead in securing the nation.”
