Shafaq News- Najaf
Sadr al-Din al-Qubbanji, seniorleader in the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, warned on Friday of reports thata regional Arab coalition is being formed to carry out airstrikes against Iraqiarmed factions and their bases inside Iraq, adding that if correct, thesecountries will "bear the consequences."
Al-Qubbanji, who is also Najaf’simam, said during a religious sermon that international media outlets hadreported the formation of a five-nation Arab coalition —comprising countriesneighboring Iraq— to strike the leadership and military installations of Iraqiarmed factions. "We hope this report is not accurate…we affirm that Iraqrespects its neighbors and has no desire for a political crisis with them."
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The warning was issued days after a drone struckan electrical generator near the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, withthe UAE's Defense Ministry confirming that technical tracking showed all threedrones involved in the May 17 attack originated from Iraqi territory. SaudiArabia's Ministry of Defense separately reported that three drones enteredSaudi airspace from the direction of Iraq on May 18. Baghdad said it detectedno launches toward the two countries.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered theformation of a high-level investigative committee during the opening session ofthe National Security Council's Ministerial Committee, renewing Iraq'scondemnation of the attacks on both countries.
Following the February 28 US-Israeli militaryoperation against Iran, Iran-aligned armed groups operating under the IslamicResistance in Iraq (IRI) umbrella carried out drone and missile strikes againstUS-linked facilities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Gulf states, includingBahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Airstrikes attributed tounidentified actors have since struck PMF headquarters across multiple Iraqiprovinces, including Diyala, Al-Anbar, and Al-Muthanna.