Al-Zaidi Mandates Crackdown on Cross-Border Attacks From Iraq
At a Glance
- The Iraqi PM launched a strict crackdown on cross-border operations.
- The directive bans armed groups from targeting neighboring countries.
- Security forces must defend Iraqi sovereignty and maintain stability.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has ordered a new joint committee to crack down on cross-border operations, ordering security forces to ensure no one uses Iraqi soil to attack neighboring states.
Key Statements and Focus Areas
- Al-Zaidi “stressed the need to prevent any aggression or threat originating from Iraqi territory.”
- Orders mandate a new panel to enforce "deterrent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents."
The move follows an emergency security meeting on Saturday. According to the PM Media Office, al-Zaidi “stressed the need to prevent any aggression or threat originating from Iraqi territory against neighboring countries.”
To stop future cross-border actions, the prime minister mandated “a joint security committee to address emerging challenges and instructed the development of deterrent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents or any potential violations.”
He also told domestic security agencies to restore order and protect national sovereignty while respecting neighboring borders.
“The meeting reaffirmed the readiness of the Armed Forces to thwart any attempt targeting neighboring countries within our regional environment,” the government statement said.
FYI
The political and security development comes amid major military escalation. Joint U.S. and Saudi forces recently launched sweeping precision airstrikes against the weapons depots and logistics hubs of Iran-backed paramilitaries across seven Iraqi provinces.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry called the operation a direct retaliation for combat drones intercepted over oil infrastructure in Riyadh and the Eastern Province. Both Washington and Riyadh maintain those drones originated inside Iraq.
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) confirmed the raids struck its headquarters in Baghdad, Basra, and Kirkuk, killing at least 20 members and wounding 32 others.
In response, al-Zaidi canceled his highly publicized official state visit to Saudi Arabia. His administration slammed the U.S.-Saudi air raids as a dangerous violation of Iraqi national sovereignty, denying any prior knowledge or approval of the operation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he would "cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," pausing an imminent U.S. and Israeli air campaign against Iran.
He noted that the decision followed regional requests for a diplomatic pause, while warning that the U.S. military remains "locked and loaded and ready to go" at unprecedented historic levels.
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