A prominent Iraqi expert warned that Israel aims to target the holy shrines in the Arab country to ignite a war between the US and Iran on Iraq's soil. RNA - Imad Allo told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website on Saturday that third parties, including Israel and the Persian Gulf Arab states, are attempting to turn Iraq into a scene for confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
He warned that they will likely attempt to target the holy shrines in Iraq to trigger a war in the country and the region which cannot be controlled easily.
His comments came after Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki warned of a “strong response” if it was proven that the Israeli regime had been behind recent airstrikes in the country against the positions of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
Maliki, who is also secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party, said on Friday that if Israel continues to target Iraq, the country “will transform into a battle arena that drags in multiple countries, including Iran”.
He added that “the security of the region, which Iraq is a key part of, is a collective issue, and its protection requires the (full) responsibility of all countries”.
“The security of the region will be put in danger and the status quo will change if it is proven that Israel has targeted the sovereignty of Iraq. Iraq will give a strong response in case it is verified that Israel's hand is behind the recent attacks,” the former Iraqi prime minister stressed.
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