BAGHDAD (Dispatches) — Iraq’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani confirmed that his government has officially lodged a complaint with the United Nations regarding repeated violations of its airspace by Israeli warplanes during the recent aggression against Iran.
Sudani strongly condemned Israel’s incursions, which were used to launch attacks on Iranian military bases, nuclear facilities, and residential areas during the 12-day war between the two countries.
“Iraq filed a complaint with the United Nations,” Sudani told the BBC on Tuesday, calling the Israeli airspace violations an “encroachment upon our sovereignty.” He added that Israeli aircraft used Iraqi airspace to conduct airstrikes deep inside Iranian territory, further escalating the already tense situation in the region.
Sudani explained that Iraq’s air defense capabilities were insufficient to intercept such violations. “We do not have an adequate air defense system with advanced technology to confront such violations,” he said, highlighting the country’s challenges in defending its airspace.
Despite these limitations, Sudani emphasized Iraq’s determination to protect its sovereignty. “We will certainly continue with our plans and will not allow any party — whether Israel or anyone else — to violate our airspace. We will use all possible means.”
In the same interview, Sudani also criticized the U.S. involvement in the attacks on Iran, which he said only contributed to the escalation of the conflict. “The United States should not have entered the war as a unilateral party. This only led to further escalation, and we have been warning against it,” he said.
Sudani’s comments echoed Iraq’s earlier concerns about the U.S. role in the conflict. The U.S. 
military, which maintains a presence in Iraq, has said its main objective is counterterrorism efforts, particularly against Daesh, although the group has largely been eliminated from the region. Iraq has previously called on the U.S. to prevent Israeli warplanes from violating Iraqi airspace, citing bilateral agreements and international law.
The prime minister expressed concern over the broader regional implications of the conflict, warning that the fallout from the war could spread to other countries in the region. 
“If a fire breaks out anywhere in the vicinity, it will spread throughout the region. No one is immune from this fire,” Sudani said. “This is not a theoretical concern; it is a real threat.”
He also confirmed that the U.S. had not notified Iraq of its involvement in the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Absolutely not,” he said when asked if Washington had given Baghdad prior notice of the strikes.
Last month, Iraq’s government had urged the U.S. to prevent Israeli warplanes from using Iraqi airspace to conduct attacks on Iran. Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan issued a statement calling on the U.S. to uphold its responsibilities under existing agreements, which include preventing any violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.