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Syria warns Baghdad from inside Iraq
"According to Alhurra channel, Syrian authorities joined forces with several Arab countries to strike Iraq, following the bombardment targeting countries in the region and a large number of Iraqi civilians."
The Iraqi government received messages from Saudi Arabia and Jordan warning that any new attack launched from Iraqi territory toward their countries would be met with direct strikes against armed factions inside Iraq, a senior Iraqi official told Al-Hurra.
Kuwait conveyed a similar warning through indirect channels, indicating widening Gulf concern over the use of Iraqi soil to carry out cross-border attacks after a recent round of regional escalation that has increased pressure on Baghdad to rein in armed groups.
According to the official, the Iraqi government is trying to reassure neighboring states that it can prevent a recurrence of attacks without allowing new strikes to be carried out on its territory. Baghdad says it is working to calm the situation, control weapons internally, and reassure worried countries about the presence of factions.
The government warned that repeated strikes inside Iraq could undermine its efforts to deter militias and contain escalation. Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Falah al-Zaydi told the Saudi side that his government is ready to deal with any threat originating from Iraq and requested available intelligence on potential attacks so Baghdad can take preemptive measures.
The regional messages came as the Iraqi government raised its state of alert at camps and military bases amid concerns about possible militia moves after the deadline some groups set for the government expires. The Iraqi News Agency quoted Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief, saying al-Zaydi ordered maximum readiness in all camps and bases, updating preventive intelligence plans, and accelerating the development of radar, early-warning systems, and air defense.
These measures take on added significance as August 8 approaches — the deadline set by some factions after linking any field action to the end of Arbaeen commemorations. It remains unclear what the factions intend to do when the deadline passes, but the timing has raised fears that any new attacks could provoke a regional response inside Iraq.
Al-Zaydi stressed that protecting internal security is the exclusive responsibility of the military and security institutions, a message seemingly directed at militias operating outside state control. Hashd al-Shaabi chief Faleh al-Fayyadh announced the organization’s readiness to follow the Commander-in-Chief’s orders and raise readiness to confront any attacks targeting Iraq or its security institutions.
The General Staff held a meeting chaired by Lt. Gen. Abd al-Amir Rashid Yarallah to review the security situation, assess unit preparedness, and discuss measures to improve the army’s effectiveness and enhance its armament capabilities.
The new warnings place the Iraqi government in a difficult position: prevent militias from attacking neighboring countries while also avoiding foreign strikes on Iraqi soil that could draw the country into a wider confrontation.
