The Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued a fierce condemnation of joint airstrikes by the United States and Saudi Arabia on Iraq.
Tehran says the attacks were a blatant violation of Baghdad’s sovereignty and a deliberate attempt by Washington and the Zionist regime to widen the regional war.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry specifically highlighted the “criminal and anti-human” targeting of official state facilities and service stations dedicated to the millions of pilgrims participating in the sacred Arbaeen procession.
“The Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the aggressive attacks by the United States and Saudi Arabia on several areas in Iraq, including against facilities and sites belonging to official Iraqi institutions, as well as the mawakib and stations of Arbaeen pilgrims.”
The ministry described the bombardment as a “blatant aggression against the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq” and a “flagrant violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter and fundamental rules of international law.”
Tehran warned that the strikes are “in line with the ambitions of the United States and the Zionist regime to expand the scope of war and conflict in the West Asia region.”
Expressing deep condolences for the martyrdom of several Iraqi citizens, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Iran’s solidarity with the government and people of Iraq.
It held the “warmongering US regime and its accomplices in the region” fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of these “criminal, inhumane, and provocative actions.”
The joint airstrikes, launched in the early hours of Wednesday, targeted positions belonging to the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) across several Iraqi provinces.
While the Pentagon and Riyadh attempted to justify the bombardment by labeling the defenders as “Iran-aligned terrorists,” the Hashd al-Shaabi is an official, state-recognized component of Iraq’s national armed forces, operating under the direct command of the Iraqi Prime Minister. The targeting of its headquarters represents a direct assault on the Iraqi state itself.
According to the Hashd al-Shaabi media office, the unprovoked aggression has so far resulted in the martyrdom of at least 20 Iraqi people, including personnel and civilians, with 32 others wounded.
Officials warn that the death toll is not final and is expected to rise as rescue operations continue in the targeted areas.
Among the most widely condemned aspects of the joint attack was the bombing of mawakib in the Karbala province.
These charitable tents and stations are set up by volunteers to provide food, water, and medical care to the millions of devout Muslims walking to the shrine of Imam Hossein (peace be upon him) for the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
US Central Command and the Saudi Ministry of Defense claimed the strikes were “precise” retaliations for drone attacks on American occupation forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Riyadh has repeatedly accused Iraqi resistance factions of targeting its petroleum facilities, without providing any evidence.
