Iraq announced Saturday that it would summon the US charge d’affaires in Baghdad to deliver a formal protest over Washington’s airstrikes against pro-Iranian militia positions in western Iraq that caused 16 deaths, including civilians, according to local authorities,
EFE reports.
“In protest against the American aggression that targeted Iraqi military and civilian sites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Charge d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Mr. David Perker, due to the absence of the American ambassador, to hand him an official note of protest regarding the American attack that targeted military and civilian sites in the Akashat and Al-Qa’im regions yesterday evening, Friday,” Iraq’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, Iraq denied that the US coordinated with the Iraqi authorities to carry out airstrikes against the positions of pro-Iranian militias in western Iraq in retaliation for the death of three US soldiers in Jordan, and accused Washington of “misleading international public opinion.”
“The American side intentionally engaged in deception and distortion of facts, stating coordination with Iraqi authorities for the perpetration of this aggression—an unfounded claim crafted to mislead international public opinion and evade legal responsibility for this condemned act, in violation of international laws,” Iraqi government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi said in a statement.
Al-Awadi’s remarks came after the US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that Washington previously warned the Iraqi government that it was going to carry out bombings in the west of the Arab country.
