MP accuses US of blocking Iraq air response during strikes
Shafaq News- Baghdad
US forces are preventing Iraqi aircraft and air defenses from responding to attacks and evacuating wounded personnel, an Iraqi lawmaker said on Saturday.
Speaking with Shafaq News, Miqdad al-Khafaji of the Hoquq bloc, affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah armed group, explained that US forces blocked helicopters from reaching strike sites to evacuate injured troops and recover bodies, urging the government to clarify why air defenses were not activated and to take a firm position on repeated strikes targeting security forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-affiliated paramilitary umbrella group.
Yesterday, the Joint Operations Command confirmed coordination with the United States and the formation of a joint committee to prevent attacks on diplomatic missions and limit escalation, including measures to ensure Iraqi territory is not used in the conflict.
Iraq has come under sustained airstrikes since the conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran began on Feb. 28, hitting military sites across Baghdad and other provinces.
Read more: How the Iran–US–Israel war exposes Iraq’s defense paralysis
