US strikes, which targeted sites used by Iranian-backed militants in Iraq early Wednesday, “do not help bring calm”, a senior Iraqi official said, adding they were also a “flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”, AFP reports.

“The US side should pile on pressure for a halt to the [Israeli] offensive in Gaza rather than targeting and bombing the bases of an Iraqi national body,” National Security Adviser Qassem al-Aaraji said in a post on X.

He was referring to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation force), an alliance of Iran-backed former paramilitary groups now integrated in the regular armed forces.

Opinion

Editorial

Momentary relief
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Momentary relief

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India’s global shame
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India’s global shame

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Aurat March restrictions
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Aurat March restrictions

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Removing subsidies
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Removing subsidies

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Scarred at home
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Scarred at home

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Zionist zealotry
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Zionist zealotry

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