Iraq is between a rock and a hard place in the Israel-Iran war. Iraq is also divided internally between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
A recent article at Iraq’s Shafaq media asked “who protects Iraq’s skies?” This is a good question and the answer is no one. The country has limited air defenses. It hasn’t had serious air defenses since the defeat of Saddam Hussein’s army in 1991. Iraq remained a weak state under Saddam until 2003 when he was overthrown. It has never recovered to become a strong state.
Iraq practices “absent deterrence” and “silent diplomacy” amid the war according to the Shafaq article. Iraq could face threats from Iran targeting dissidents in Kurdistan. In addition, Iran has a number of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq who possess drones and missiles that they may be using to target Israel.
Iraq recently reopened a border with Syria and would prefer to stay out of the conflict.
“Iraqis woke up Sunday morning to the sound of three unidentified drones crashing in various parts of the country, most notably in southern Dhi Qar Governorate. Dozens of citizens gathered around the wreckage, amid general astonishment in the area,” Shafaq noted.
“This incident is not the first of its kind. Israeli aircraft have repeatedly violated Iraqi airspace in recent times, following the outbreak of the confrontation between Israel and Iran. This has prompted observers to consider the sanctity of Iraqi airspace to be violated within the context of ongoing Israeli targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the report continued.
Iraq has complained to the UN about these incidents. It has asked that its airspace not be violated and its sovereignty be respected. Iraqis are stranded abroad because they cannot fly home due to the war.
"The Iraqi government reiterates its absolute rejection of the use of its airspace for military attacks by the Zionist entity against Iran or neighboring countries,” a spokesperson for Iraq’s armed forces said. The head of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, Karim Aliwi al-Muhammadawi, confirmed to Shafaq that "Iraq has taken the diplomatic and legal path by submitting an official complaint to the UN Security Council against the Israeli air force's violations."
Iraq’s airspace is complex because the US-led anti-ISIS coalition also operates in Iraq. Some Iraqis think the US coordinates with Israel and they want the US to help protect Iraq’s airspace. “Despite the complaint, the Iraqi government has not disclosed the ‘practical’ measures it hinted at taking to prevent the recurrence of such violations, raising doubts among observers about the seriousness of these moves,” Shafaq noted.
Iraq has sought military equipment from Russia, South Korea
Iraq has no way to deter countries from using its airspace. An Iraqi source noted that the US has rejected Iraq’s attempts to import air defense systems from Russia in the past.
"Iraq possesses tactical capabilities on the ground that qualify it for a ground confrontation, but its air capabilities remain weak, which requires strengthening this front with advanced missiles and effective air defense systems,” the source said to Shafaq.
Iraq has also sought to acquire defense systems from South Korea. This has included a contract for the Cheongung-II medium-range surface to air missile system. A battery of these consisted of four launchers, each carrying eight launch tubes, along with an advanced radar and command center.
This was ordered in 2024 by Iraq, it is not clear if or when it will be delivered and be operational. Iraq’s limited air defense systems are apparently deployed at various oil fields and around energy facilities to prevent anything falling on the fields or errant drones hitting them.
Meanwhile, “security sources indicated that the sounds of explosions heard recently in Baghdad and some other provinces were the result of Israeli aircraft violating Iraqi airspace,” Shafaq noted.