Iraq tells Trump its territory will not be used to attack neighbours

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi told US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Thursday that Baghdad will not let its territory be used to attack neighbouring countries, Al Jazeera reported.

Al-Zaidi's office said the two men discussed the evolving regional situation, security developments and prospects for the next phase. It said he reaffirmed Iraq's call for respect for the sovereignty of states and stressed the need for diplomacy and dialogue to safeguard regional security and stability.

Arab News reported that Iraq's Gulf neighbours have accused militias loyal to Tehran of launching strikes from Iraqi territory since the Iran-US war broke out. It said al-Zaidi has promised to crack down on the groups and stop missile and drone launches, some of which have hit oil infrastructure and US military bases.

Al Jazeera reported that al-Zaidi, who took office in May, has made disarming all armed groups a priority, including several powerful pro-Iran groups.

Separately, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Dijlah TV on Thursday that the potential of renewed US military attacks on Iran is not a secret. He warned Iraqi armed groups against joining any Iranian retaliation.

Hussein said Iraq had been turned into a battlefield after the US struck Iran, and had come under attack from the US, Iran and armed groups inside Iraq. "Pushing Iraqi society into the war will lead to a disaster," he said. He also said: "We are not prepared for war. Neither Iraqi society nor the armed forces are prepared for war."

Hussein added: "We are not part of any axis, and we do not want to let the Iraqi arena be turned into a battlefield."

The war has also cost Iraq heavily, according to Al Jazeera. It said Iraq has lost more than $60bn in oil revenue. Normally about 90 percent of its oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and these were largely cut off when Iran closed the waterway. Iraq has been one of the few countries Iran exempted from the closure.