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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani strongly condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon during a visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, marking Aoun’s first trip to Baghdad since taking office.
Despite a November ceasefire that ended over a year of conflict with Hezbollah, Israel has continued its strikes on Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities reported a third deadly Israeli raid in southern Lebanon within four days on Sunday.
In a joint press conference, Sudani denounced these “repeated Israeli attacks against Lebanon’s sovereignty” as “a violation of international law.”
The Iraqi Prime Minister urged the “full implementation” of a UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which formed the basis for the recent November 27 truce.
Under this truce, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River and dismantle southern military posts, while Israel was to pull its troops out of Lebanon, though it maintains five “strategic” border positions.
Sudani also noted discussions with President Aoun on “shared opportunities in various sectors,” including energy, telecommunications, and commerce.
Iraq, with its government largely influenced by pro-Iranian parties, maintains close ties with Lebanon. It hosted thousands of Lebanese, mostly Shiite Muslims, displaced by the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Iraqi armed factions aligned with Tehran are staunch allies of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
Since 2021, gas-rich Iraq has supplied fuel for Lebanon’s power stations, aiding the country amid a severe economic crisis. Last month, Beirut announced it was expecting a delivery of 320,000 tons of wheat from Iraq.
President Aoun, who assumed office in January, expressed gratitude for Iraq’s “support and donations” to Lebanon during his visit, which also included a meeting with Iraqi President Abdel Latif Rashid.
