The Iraqi government received messages from Saudi Arabia and Jordan warning that any new attack launched from Iraqi territory against either country would be met with direct strikes on armed factions inside Iraq, a senior Iraqi official told MBN.
The official said Kuwait conveyed a similar warning through indirect channels, signaling growing Gulf concern over the use of Iraqi territory as a launching point for cross-border attacks. The messages followed a recent wave of regional escalation that has increased pressure on Baghdad to rein in armed groups.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are Iraqi Iranian-backed militias that have attacked US forces and allies in the region since the outbreak of regional conflict in late February.
According to the official, the Iraqi government is trying to convince neighboring countries that it can prevent further attacks while also discouraging any new military strikes on Iraqi soil.
Baghdad has informed the countries involved that it is working to “de-escalate the situation, bring weapons under state control, and reassure countries concerned about the presence of armed factions,” the official said.
The government also warned that additional strikes inside Iraq could undermine its efforts to deter armed groups and contain the escalation.
Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Ali Faleh al-Zaidi told Saudi officials that his government was prepared to address any threat originating from Iraqi territory. He also asked Riyadh to share any intelligence on potential attacks so Baghdad could take preventive action.
The regional warnings came as the Iraqi government raised the alert level at military camps and bases amid concerns that armed factions could act after the expiration of a deadline they had given the government.
The state-run Iraqi News Agency quoted Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief, as saying that al-Zaidi had ordered the armed forces to raise combat readiness to its highest level across all military camps and bases, update preventive intelligence plans, and accelerate the development of radar, early warning, and air defense systems.
Heightened Security Measures
The measures take on added significance with Aug. 8 approaching, the expiration date of a deadline some armed factions gave the Iraqi government to respond to joint US-Saudi strikes on the PMF.
It remains unclear what the factions intend to do once the deadline expires, but the timing has raised concerns that any renewed attacks could prompt regional retaliation inside Iraq.
Al-Zaidi said responsibility for protecting domestic security rests exclusively with Iraq’s military and security institutions, in remarks that appeared aimed at armed groups operating outside state authority.
Faleh al-Fayyadh, head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, said the organization stood ready to implement the commander-in-chief’s directives and raise its state of readiness to confront any attacks targeting Iraq or its security institutions.
Separately, the Army General Staff held a meeting chaired by Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah to review the security situation and the readiness of military units, while discussing measures to improve the army’s capabilities and strengthen its arsenal.
The new warnings leave the Iraqi government facing a difficult balancing act: preventing armed factions from launching attacks against neighboring countries while also preventing those countries from carrying out military strikes inside Iraq that could draw the country into a broader regional confrontation.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
