Iraq says U.S. airstrike on its soil breached international law
< < Go Back
Iraq condemned a U.S. airstrike against Iranian-linked militias on its soil Monday, describing the overnight attack as a “blatant” violation of national sovereignty that breached international conventions.
The unusually harsh condemnation from a military ally came after the Pentagon said Sunday that it had launched airstrikes on facilities on both sides of the Iraq-Syria border in response to recent drone attacks on U.S. troops.
Two militia locations in Syria were attacked, along with one in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement, which described the strikes as defensive He said the locations were used by the Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada groups, which are both linked to Iran.
In a statement Monday, the Iraqi military rejected the idea that Iraq should be an “arena for settling scores,” describing the attack as a “blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty, as well as a breach of international conventions.
More From The Washington Post (subscription required):