Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Syria has joined Saudi Arabia and Jordan in warning Baghdad that strikes conducted from Iraqi soil against neighboring nations may result in military strikes against the armed groups responsible, according to Syrian military officials cited by regional media.
According to Al Jazeera and the US-funded Al Hurra, a senior Syrian military source said that Damascus will react to any strikes from Iraq by attacking the “terrorist militias” involved inside Iraqi territory.
The purported warning comes amid a steep increase in regional tensions after US-Saudi bombings against Iran-backed militias in Iraq in retaliation for drone assaults on Saudi oil installations, which Riyadh said were conducted from Iraqi territory.
The Iraqi government has frequently said that it would not allow Iraqi land to be used as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring nations.
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi recently issued an order establishing a comprehensive security strategy aimed at enhancing state authority and preventing armed organizations from endangering regional security.
The new threat puts further pressure on Baghdad, as more neighboring nations indicate they may take direct action if cross-border assaults continue.
Iraqi authorities have attempted to prevent such a situation, claiming that security activities should be overseen by the Iraqi government rather than foreign forces.
Several Iran-backed organizations operating inside Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are at the heart of the conflict, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
While the PMF is technically part of Iraq’s security system, some of its sections have strong links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and have been accused by regional governments of carrying out strikes outside of Baghdad’s jurisdiction.
For Iraq, the diplomatic stakes go beyond security.
Baghdad has been attempting to reestablish ties with Syria as part of greater regional economic integration, including talks on resurrecting the old Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to the Mediterranean, which is considered strategically crucial for diversifying Iraq’s export routes outside the Gulf.
The purported Syrian warning comes at a critical moment for Al-Zaidi’s administration, which has spent recent months bolstering relations with Washington, Ankara, Riyadh, and Damascus while portraying Iraq as a secure destination for global investment.
The mounting threats from neighboring Arab governments highlight the importance of Baghdad demonstrating its ability to prevent armed groups from conducting strikes independent of the state.
Failure to do so risks increasing regional military tensions and jeopardizing Iraq’s aspirations to boost commerce, energy cooperation, and infrastructure projects with its neighbors.
The Syrian government has not issued an official warning, and IraqiNews.com has not independently confirmed the statements ascribed to the Syrian military source.
However, the claims reflect rising regional worry that strikes by Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi soil could further destabilize the area and hamper Iraq’s diplomatic and economic goals.