Baghdad Orders Maximum Military Alert, Vows Iraq Will Not Be Drawn into Regional Conflict
Iraq's military spokesman said Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the country's armed forces, including Popular Mobilization Forces facilities, to raise combat readiness amid escalating regional tensions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq has raised its military readiness to the highest level, with Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi ordering heightened alert across military bases, installations and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) facilities as regional tensions continue to escalate.
Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency on Friday, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for Iraq's Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said the measures were intended to thwart any attempt at infiltration or attacks amid the deteriorating regional security environment.
Al-Numan said Iraq's security situation is undergoing "a real and direct test" as a result of escalating regional tensions.
"These tensions are creating significant sovereignty and operational challenges, particularly with attempts by some external parties to use Iraq's territory and airspace in their bilateral conflicts," he said.
He added that Iraq's military and security institutions remain at the highest level of preparedness to deal with the evolving situation.
According to al-Numan, maintaining domestic security depends first and foremost on unified security decision-making and coordinated action under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The military spokesman warned that regional tensions would continue to threaten Iraq's stability if they were exploited to destabilize the country.
He said unilateral military operations or the use of Iraqi airspace by foreign actors risk dragging Iraq into broader regional confrontations.
"Protecting Iraq's security and sovereignty is a red line and cannot become the subject of regional compromise," al-Numan said. "Safeguarding our internal security is solely the responsibility of the state's military and security institutions."
He also stressed that Iraq would not become a party to regional conflicts or allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against any other country.
Al-Numan reaffirmed that weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the Iraqi state.
He said no irresponsible individual action or movement outside the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces would be permitted.
The spokesman revealed that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had issued urgent directives to all field commanders to raise military readiness and alert levels to the maximum across all military bases and installations, including official facilities belonging to the various components of the armed forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces.
He added that strengthening Iraq's air defenses remains a top national priority.
According to al-Numan, efforts are underway to accelerate the acquisition of modern radar and air defense systems to better protect Iraq's sovereignty.
He also said Iraq is documenting airspace violations through official channels in an effort to compel all parties to respect the country's sovereignty while work continues toward establishing a comprehensive air defense network capable of fully protecting Iraqi airspace.