Baghdad has requested Tehran not target US sites on Iraqi soil, senior Iraqi official says

By AFP 14 June 2025, 4:22 pm

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Armored vehicles of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces are deployed outside the US embassy building in Baghdad's Green Zone, Iraq, on June 12, 2025. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Baghdad has asked Tehran not to target US interests on Iraqi soil, a senior security official says.

The government in Baghdad is a close ally of Tehran but also a strategic partner of Iran’s arch-foe, the United States, which has some 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition.

Fearing being caught up in a regional escalation, the Iraqi government asked Tehran not to strike in its territory, a senior Iraqi security official tells AFP.

“The request was made. They promised us positive things,” the official says, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The official adds that Tehran has shown understanding with regard to Baghdad’s request.