Iraq to summon Iranian envoy over 'violation'

Iraq to summon Iranian envoy over 'violation'
Iraq will summon Iran's ambassador on Tehran's ballistic missile attack in Baghdad's Green Zone.
1 min read
09 January, 2020
Iraq is in turmoil [Getty]

Iraq's foreign ministry said Wednesday it would summon Iran's ambassador over Tehran's ballistic missile attack on bases housing local, US and other international troops, calling it a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty". 

"We will not allow Iraq to be an arena of conflict, a corridor to carry out attacks or a base to hurt neighbouring countries," the ministry said. 

The ministry earlier summoned the US ambassador over the American drone strike last week that killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders and prompted Wednesday's missile strikes. 

Tensions have escalated between the United States and Iran following the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.

Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike on Friday. In response, Iran struck the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq and a base in Erbil.

Late Wednesday, two rockets crashed into the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, the high-security enclave where foreign embassies including the United States mission.

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