Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani minced no words as he denounced the recent U.S. assault on the Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters in Baghdad.
Speaking at an event commemorating the fourth anniversary of the assassinations of Qassem Soleimani and former Hashd al-Shaabi Deputy Chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Al Sudani proclaimed that the very foundation of all agreements and pacts between the U.S. and Iraq had suffered a severe blow.
Declaring a commitment to safeguard Iraq's sovereignty at all costs, Al Sudani revealed that the government is initiating a bilateral commission to bring about the complete cessation of coalition forces in the country.
"There is no justification whatsoever for the presence of coalition forces in Iraq, and we reiterate our unwavering stance on terminating their presence," he said.
Reflecting on the recent U.S. strike on the Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters in Baghdad, Al Sudani said, "The most perilous incidents in Iraq have unfolded with the repeated assaults by coalition forces on the Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters."
He emphasized that Hashd al-Shaabi is an integral part of Iraq's armed forces, officially affiliated with the state.
Any security breaches are the sole purview of the Iraqi government, which upholds the law, ensuring that no one can assail the nation's sovereignty.
Al Sudani concluded by condemning attacks targeting Iraqi security forces.
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) had previously justified the airstrike in Baghdad, citing Abu Takva al-Saadi, a leader of the Nujaba Movement, a Shiite group affiliated with Hashd al-Shaabi, as a perceived threat.
In an official statement from the institution known as the "Hashd al-Shaabi Baghdad Belt," it was confirmed that Deputy Commander Saadi lost his life in the U.S. attack. General Yahya Resul, the Military spokesperson for Prime Minister Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani, reiterated in a written statement that there was no justification for the attack on Hashd al-Shaabi, which operated with the prime minister's official permission.
Resul characterized the assault as "akin to a terrorist act," underscoring that it jeopardizes all agreements between the Iraqi Armed Forces and the U.S.-led international coalition forces responsible for the attack.
The tensions continue to escalate as the fallout threatens to undermine diplomatic ties between the nations.
