Iraqi PM reveals Baghdad thwarted dozens of operations against Israel during 12-day war
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also says he reached out to Iran during the war, urging for ‘calm’ and a return to negotiations
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in an interview that Baghdad thwarted dozens of attacks targeting Israel and US military bases during the 12-day war between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
Speaking with AP in an interview released on 29 July, the Iraqi premier said armed groups attempted to carry out drone and missile attacks at Israel and US bases in Iraq, but were thwarted 29 times by “security operations.”
“We know that the (Israeli) government had a policy – and still does – of expanding the war in the region. Therefore, we made sure not to give any justification to any party to target Iraq,” he added, revealing that he reached out to Iran “to urge them toward calm and to make room for dialogue and a return to negotiations.”
Iraqi resistance groups had been warning during the 12-day war that US attacks on Iran would be met with operations targeting Washington’s interests inside Iraq.
When Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began, these Iraqi factions intervened with attacks on US bases and drone operations against Israeli targets. Yet an attack on a US site on the Jordan–Syria border in January 2024 killed three US soldiers, prompting intensive pressure from Baghdad and ultimately leading to an end to the Iraqi resistance’s operations.
Iraqi groups continued to target Israel for months after, before halting attacks in November – shortly before a ceasefire was reached in Lebanon.
Sudani told AP in the interview that his government is planning to “keep these groups in check going forward” and that he “wants to get closer to the Trump administration,” even while maintaining strong ties with Iran-linked groups.
Over the past couple of years, Iraq has been engaged in talks with the US to bring an end to the role of Washington’s so-called ‘anti-ISIS’ coalition in the country, and to transform this role into an advisory one.
These talks have consistently stalled, and Washington has shown no indication it is willing to limit its military presence in Iraq, let alone withdraw or decommission combat troops.
According to the Iraqi prime minister, Washington and Baghdad will meet by the end of 2025 to “arrange the bilateral security relationship” between both countries. He also said he hopes to secure US investments in oil, gas, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – which would “contribute to regional security” and make “the two countries great together.”
Sudani said the US coalition provided Iraqi resistance groups with a “justification” for weapons, adding that “there will be no need or no justification for any group to carry weapons outside the scope of the state” once the coalition’s role comes to an end.
The premier also rejected an idea that his government has not done enough to secure the release of Israeli Mossad agent Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is said to be held somewhere in Iraq. Washington and Tel Aviv have accused the Kataib Hezbollah resistance group of holding her captive.
Sudani did not name the group holding Tsurkov, saying that Iraq “does not negotiate with kidnappers” and revealing that there are talks with political factions who may be able to help find her.
The interview comes as Washington has been calling on Baghdad to “take measures” against Iran-linked resistance groups.
It has also expressed concern over Iraqi draft legislation aimed at further institutionalization of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) – a coalition of armed factions that are integrated into Iraq’s military structure. Many of the groups in the PMU fought ISIS and resisted the 2003 US invasion of the country.
Among the groups represented in the PMU are Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and the Al-Nujaba Movement – resistance factions involved in the attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria that began after the start of the Gaza war.