Iraqi premier al-Zaydi announces 'deterrent measures' against playing role in regional hostilities

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi has announced "deterrent measures" to prevent attacks on "neighbouring countries" coming from within Iraqi territory, following an emergency meeting with domestic security forces late Saturday.  

The announcement, which did not provide further detail on the planned measures, comes after the Iraq-based Popular Mobilisation Forces paramilitary launched drone attacks at Saudi energy infrastructure earlier this week, prompting US and Saudi retaliatory strikes. The PMF paramilitary, which is dominated by pro-Iranian Shia factions, said that over 20 of its fighters were killed in the strikes. 

Iraq also found itself in the crosshairs of the US-Israeli war on Iran earlier this a wave of attacks this week on Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraqi territory, which that have been widely attributed to Iran.

A statement provided by al-Zaydi's office on Saturday said that the emergency meeting "reaffirmed the readiness of the Armed Forces to thwart any attempt targeting neighboring countries within our regional environment."

It added that the Iraqi government had was committed "to preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a launching point or passageway for attacks against brotherly or friendly countries, in fulfillment of its responsibility to safeguard national sovereignty and uphold the principles of good neighborliness and international law.”