Iraq said Wednesday it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks related to conflict in the Middle East, with Iran threatening retaliation for an Israeli missile attack.
After a National Security Council meeting, a statement called reports suggesting Iraqi territory might be used as a launch point "pretexts aiming to excuse aggression against Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity".
The statement came after US news site Axios recently cited an Israeli intelligence source as saying an Iranian response could come from territory inside Iraq.
The site on Tuesday doubled down on its claims, citing two US officials, who said the United States had warned Iraq it risked "an Israeli attack on its territory" if it did not prevent Iranian retaliation from within its borders.
The Iraqi government, dominated by pro-Iran groups, has been pursuing a delicate balancing act in an attempt to distance the country from regional tensions sparked by Israel's wars in Gaza and now Lebanon.
The United States has about 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of an international coalition formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group (IS).
The soldiers have been targeted by dozens of rocket and drone strikes by a loose alliance of Iraqi armed groups backed by Iran, which has also claimed responsibility for attacks against Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to a statement on Tuesday, asking him to "protect US personnel".
"It is important that Iraq not be drawn into regional conflict," the statement said, calling on Iraq to "exert control over armed groups launching unauthorised attacks from its territory".
With AFP
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