Exclusive: Washington blames Baghdad: It did not cooperate with us to protect its forces.
Exclusive: Washington blames Baghdad: It did not cooperate with us to protect its forces.
2026-03-25 00:19
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A U.S. State Department official confirmed on Wednesday that the United States is focused on protecting its personnel and facilities in Iraq from attacks carried out by “Iranian-linked militias,” noting repeated requests to Iraqi authorities to provide Washington with accurate information about the locations of Iraqi security forces to avoid targeting them.
The official told Shafaq News Agency that “the United States has repeatedly asked the Iraqi government in recent weeks to provide information about the locations of its forces, with the aim of ensuring the safety of forces that are not involved in attacks against American interests,” noting that “Baghdad has not provided this information so far.”
He added that his country is “ready to work with the Iraqi authorities to defeat the terrorism that pro-Iranian militias are trying to spread within Iraq and the region.”
The Iraqi government has not yet issued any official comment on the American statements.
This comes amid an unprecedented escalation of attacks on American interests in Iraq, as Iraqi armed factions operating under the umbrella of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” targeted the American embassy in Baghdad, Harir base in Erbil, and sites near Baghdad and Erbil airports with missiles and drones, as they announced their involvement alongside Iran after the war expanded in the region.
The escalation was not limited to attacks on American interests, as the same period witnessed strikes targeting headquarters and sites of armed factions inside Iraq affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, amid an exchange of accusations between Washington and these groups, which the United States says are closely linked to Iran.
In response, the Iraqi government, through decisions issued by the National Security Council, allowed security forces to respond to sources of fire and defend themselves, in an attempt to contain the escalation and prevent the country from sliding into an open confrontation.
shafaq.com
