Iraq rejects US request to use its soil for military operations against Iran

Iraq has refused to allow the United States to use its territory as a base for launching attacks against Iran.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi told US President Donald Trump during a phone conversation that Iraqi territory should not be used as a launching pad for attacks against neighbouring countries.

Iraq's Foreign Minister also stated that the country was not prepared for war, warning that military strikes against Iran could have disastrous consequences for Iraq.

Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to expand the scope of its retaliatory strikes to Europe in response to any new US and Israeli attacks.

Iranian lawmaker Hossein Ali Haji Deligani warned that if further attacks were launched against Iran, Tehran could deploy missiles capable of reaching European territory.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati said the international community must recognise Iran's strategic importance in the region and understand that the country cannot be ignored.

He stressed that regional countries must choose between "collective security" and "collective insecurity," adding that current global developments have demonstrated that regional security cannot be treated as an individual matter.

"Security must either be for everyone or for no one," he said.