Iraq authorizes Hashd al-Shaabi to respond to US-Israel attacks

The Iraqi National Security Ministerial Council held an emergency meeting under the instruction of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. During the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister al-Sudani, the war and military developments in the region and their impact on Iraq were discussed. In a written statement issued by the spokesperson for the Iraqi Armed Forces Command, Sabah al-Numan, it was emphasized that the state is the sole authority for decisions on war and peace under the constitution, and that no individual or group would be allowed to usurp this authority. The statement noted that the Council condemned attacks targeting Iraq's sovereignty and attempts to interfere in the country's internal affairs, emphasizing the need to maintain regional and international relations within the framework of a balanced foreign policy and to keep the country away from conflicts.

Authorization for Hashd al-Shaabi and security forces to respond to attacks

As a result of the meeting, the Council granted the pro-Iranian Hashd al-Shaabi organization and security forces the authority to respond to attacks. The statement indicated that security forces carry out their duties within the framework of the constitution and the law. In this context, it was emphasized that the pro-Iranian Hashd al-Shaabi organization is one of the fundamental elements of the national security system, and that elements affiliated with this structure would not be permitted to act outside the law.

The Council decided that, in the face of violations of Iraq's sovereignty and attacks on targets belonging to security institutions—particularly those carried out by warplanes and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—the necessary response would be given within the scope of the "right to legitimate self-defense."

Foreign Ministry to file a complaint with the UN

Furthermore, it was decided to identify individuals involved in attacks against security institutions, citizens' interests, and diplomatic missions, to uncover the structures they are affiliated with, and to initiate legal proceedings against them. The statement emphasized that officials responsible for any delays in this process would be held accountable.

It was reported that the meeting resulted in a decision for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file a complaint with the United Nations (UN) Security Council regarding the attacks and to call for the cessation and condemnation of these strikes.

US and Iranian diplomats to be summoned to the ministry

Additionally, it was decided to summon the US Chargé d'Affaires in Iraq, Joshua Harris, and the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver an official protest note regarding the attacks on Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters in Anbar province and other regions, as well as on Peshmerga forces in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani had ordered the emergency meeting following an airstrike earlier in the day on a Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters in Anbar, which resulted in the loss of 15 lives.