Iraq says against expansion of war towards Iran, use of airspace

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Sunday said Baghdad was against a regional war spreading to Iran, ahead of Israel’s expected retaliation for the Islamic Republic’s recent missile attack.

“The continuation of the war and its expansion towards the Islamic Republic of Iran and [Israel’s] exploitation of Iraqi airspace as a corridor is completely unacceptable and rejected,” he said during a news conference with his Iranian counterpart in the Iraqi capital.

For his part, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that his country was ready for a “war situation,” while insisting that his government wanted peace.

“We are fully prepared for a war situation. We are not afraid of war, but we do not want war, we want peace and we will work for a just peace in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said during the joint news conference.