Iraq has condemned Israel’s use of its airspace to attack neighbouring Iran in a protest letter sent to United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, Baghdad said Monday. A statement from government spokesman Bassim Alawadi said the letter condemns “the Zionist entity’s blatant violation of Iraq’s airspace and sovereignty by using Iraqi airspace to carry out an attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 26”. Early on Saturday, Israel struck military sites in Iran saying it was retaliating against Tehran’s strikes on Israel this month. Iranian media reported multiple explosions in the capital and at nearby military bases. Iran said its air defense system successfully countered Israel’s attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with “limited damage” to some locations.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday said that Israel’s attack which killed four soldiers “should neither be exaggerated nor minimised”. President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country.” Iran “will give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian added. Also on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Iran’s “right to respond”, also saying that Tehran had “received indications” hours before Israel’s attack. US news website Axios on Saturday said Israel has “sent message to Iran” ahead of its attack and warned it “against a response”.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan