JERUSALEM

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani warned Tuesday that an Israeli letter to the UN Security Council could serve as a pretext for attacking his country.

Israel revealed early Tuesday that it had sent a letter to the Security Council demanding immediate action against groups launching attacks on its territory from Iraq, asserting its “right to self-defense.”

“The message sent by the Zionist entity (Israel) to the UN Security Council represents a pretext for aggression against Iraq and aligns with its ongoing efforts to expand the war in the region,” Sudani said in a statement.

He emphasized Iraq's rejection of such threats.

“Decisions of war and peace are solely within the authority of the Iraqi state, and no party is allowed to infringe upon this right,” he said.

The Iraqi premier reaffirmed his country’s position of staying out of conflict while maintaining its principled stance of seeking an end to the Gaza and Lebanon wars and supporting humanitarian efforts for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar earlier accused Iran-backed groups in Iraq of launching attacks against Israel.

“This evening, I sent a letter to the President of the UN Security Council in which I called for immediate action regarding the activity of the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, whose territory is being used to attack Israel,” Sa’ar said on X.

He called on the Security Council “to act urgently to make sure that the Iraqi government meets its obligations under international law and to make these attacks on Israel stop.”

The Israeli letter highlights what Iraq considers a double standard, as Tel Aviv has ignored Security Council Resolution 2728, adopted in March, which calls for an end to the Israeli war in Gaza.

Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have launched drones on Israeli targets in response to Israel's ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Regional tension has escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 44,000 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio