Iraq condemns Bahraini minister's comment about attacks on PMF bases
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s foreign ministry late Wednesday condemned a statement from Bahrain’s top diplomat that described recent Israeli attacks on Iranian or Iran-backed forces throughout the Middle East as "self-defense."
Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa made the comment in a tweet earlier that day which referred to drone attacks and airstrikes against targets that included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units, Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) militias, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Yemeni Houthis.
“So, don't blame those who hit them,” al-Khalifa wrote.
Related Article: Iran-Israel conflict spreads in Middle East
Baghdad hasn’t officially accused Israel of having been behind the attacks in Iraq so far, acknowledging only that it was a “foreign” act. In Wednesday's statement denouncing the Bahraini official’s comment, however, the Iraqi foreign ministry used the term “Zionist enemy” as it rephrased al-Khalifa’s remarks.
The ministry announced it “rejects and condemns the Bahraini Foreign Minister's Tweet about the recent attacks on Arab territories and the Popular Mobilization Forces by Zionist enemy under the pretext of self-defense.”
The statement went on to say the PMF “stood by our armed forces, the police (local and federal), the Peshmerga, and the tribal fighters to defend our holy land and made great sacrifices to liberate the cities of Iraq, and to defeat Da'esh [Islamic State] terrorist gangs.”
Israel, from its end, has not officially confirmed it carried out the attacks in Iraq but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has on multiple occasions hinted at it. He wrote on Twitter earlier that “Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against Iranian aggression.”
The Iraqi government has reportedly concluded its investigation into the incidents and Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi has presented the results to his ministers but has yet to announce it publicly, which has sparked speculation surrounding his possible motives for waiting.
The Bahraini and Iraqi governments have had multiple diplomatic rows recently, with senior politicians from each side commenting on the internal politics of each other.
In late June, hundreds of demonstrators stormed the Bahraini embassy in Baghdad, protesting the island nation’s decision to host a White House-organized event on its Middle East peace proposal.
Editing by John J. Catherine