Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has stated that Iraq was unable to prevent Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran due to the absence of an adequate air defense system.
In an interview with BBC Persian, Prime Minister al-Sudani said, “We could not stop Israeli fighter jets from striking Iran because we did not have the appropriate air defense capabilities.”
He further explained that in the 48 hours leading up to the attacks, both security and political assessments — as well as media reporting — strongly indicated that a military confrontation was imminent. “At that time, we were warning our friends, allies, and Iraq’s neighboring countries about the threat of Israeli aggression,” he added.
When asked what measures Iraq took to prevent the violation of its airspace, al-Sudani described the incident as “a breach of national sovereignty — a violation of the airspace of a sovereign state and a member of the United Nations.” He emphasized that the attack violated international laws and UN charters, and posed a direct threat to Iraq’s military, its security apparatus, and the Iraqi people.
Regarding Iraq’s inaction during the strikes, the Prime Minister said: “Unfortunately, due to past complications, the presence of international coalition forces in the country, and the failures of previous governments, we did not have an active or modern air defense system in place.”
He acknowledged that Iraq lacked the advanced technology necessary to counter such violations but noted that steps are now being taken to strengthen the country’s air defense capabilities.
