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Baghdad Asks Iran Not to Strike US Targets in Iraq
An Iraqi senior security official said that Baghdad asked Iran to avoid targeting US interests in Iraq amid mounting tensions between Israel and Tehran, according to Al-Arabiya.
'The request was made. They promised us positive things,' the official said.
Despite the fact that Baghdad is a close ally of Tehran, Iraq is also a strategic partner of the US and even has approximately 2,500 US troops on its soil as part of an anti-extremist coalition. Israeli Iranian Tensions
On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion.
The military campaign targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
As a response, Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles against Israel and targeted Tel Aviv. US Denies Involvement
On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States was not involved in Israel's unilateral strikes on Iran, according to The New York Times.
Rubio said Israel started the attacks and acted unilaterally based on its belief that the operation was necessary for self-defense.
'We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,' Rubio said.
He also warned Iran late Thursday not to respond to Israeli strikes by targeting American bases in the region.
Importantly, the US military maintains a large fleet of warplanes, naval vessels as well as thousands of troops stationed at its bases in the region, including in Qatar and Bahrain.
'Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,' Rubio added.
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