Baghdad Decries ‘Irresponsible Escalation’ Following More US Strikes on Iraq

Military spokesman condemns ‘acts of aggression,’ says Baghdad will respond with the ‘necessary actions.’

A member of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) paramilitaries holds a sign identifying one of the group's slain members during the funeral at the PMF headquarters in Baghdad on January 4, 2024. Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images

Baghdad has condemned a fresh round of U.S. military strikes on targets inside Iraq, warning that the move will only aggravate tensions in the already volatile Middle East region.

“This unacceptable act undermines years of [U.S.–Iraq] cooperation, blatantly violates Iraq’s sovereignty, and amounts to an irresponsible escalation,” Iraqi military spokesman Yehia Rasool said in a Jan. 24 statement.