Iraq–Israel relations refer to the bilateral ties between the
State of Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and the
Republic of Iraq. Due to Iraq's
non-recognition of Israel as a legitimate state since the
latter's establishment in 1948, the two countries have not had any formal diplomatic relations. The
Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was a part of the Arab coalition that declared war on and invaded Israel shortly after its establishment, sparking the
1948 Arab–Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...
, and the two states have since then been in a continuous state of hostilities. Iraqi forces also participated in the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
and the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
in 1967 and 1973, respectively.
In 1981, Israel carried out
Operation Opera
Operation Opera (), also known as Operation Babylon, was a surprise airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force on 7 June 1981, which destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor located southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. The Israeli operation ca ...
in
Ba'athist Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq, officially the Iraqi Republic (1968–1992) and later the Republic of Iraq (1992–2003), was the Iraqi state between 1968 and 2003 under the one-party rule of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, Iraqi regional bra ...
, in which the
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
bombed and successfully destroyed an
Iraqi nuclear reactor that was under construction at the
Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre near
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
; the reactor had been attacked and partially damaged by
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
during its
Operation Scorch Sword, which had been carried out a year prior to the Israeli strike amidst the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
. During the
1990–1991 Gulf War, Iraq carried out a
missile campaign against Israel, in which it launched 42 modified
Scud missiles (designated
Al-Hussein) at Israeli cities with the strategic objective of provoking Israel into launching retaliatory attacks and potentially jeopardizing the multinational coalition formed by the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
against Iraq, which had full backing and extensive contributions from other
Muslim-majority states; Israel did not respond to the Iraqi missile attacks due to American pressure, and Iraq failed to gather support for its occupation of
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
.
The
post-2003 Republic of Iraq continues to be a strong supporter of the
Arab League boycott of Israel
The Arab League boycott of Israel is a strategy adopted by the Arab League and its member states to boycott economic and other relations between Arabs and the Arab states and Israel and specifically stopping all trade with Israel which adds to ...
. All
Iraqi passports are invalid for travel to Israel and
Israeli passports are likewise invalid for entry into Iraq. Alongside a number of other Arab and Muslim-majority countries, Iraq is designated as a hostile state under Israeli law, and
Israeli citizens may not visit the country without a special permit issued by the
Israeli Interior Ministry.
History
Until the 2003 Iraq War
The
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
in the 1930s built the
Mosul–Haifa oil pipeline from Western Iraq through the British-ruled
Emirate of Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan (), officially the Amirate of Trans-Jordan, was a British protectorate established on 11 April 1921,[Haifa
Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...]
, in
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine.
After ...
. During the
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allies of World War II, Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq, then ruled by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état with assista ...
, the
Irgun
The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...
- an Israeli independence movement - participated in the British invasion of Iraq. Immediately after the
declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel
The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), at the end of the civil war phase and beginning of the international phase of the ...
in May 1948,
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
armies, including those of Iraq,
invaded the former Mandate Palestine territory, and the oil pipeline to Haifa was shut down, and the pipeline diverted through a branch line to
Tripoli in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. Following the war, Iraq was the only Arab country not to sign a ceasefire agreement with Israel, and the two countries have technically been in a continuous state of war since 1948.
Despite not sharing a border with Israel, Iraq was an important player in the
Arab–Israeli conflict
The Arab–Israeli conflict is a geopolitical phenomenon involving military conflicts and a variety of disputes between Israel and many Arab world, Arab countries. It is largely rooted in the historically supportive stance of the Arab League ...
. Iraqi troops in Jordan became involved in the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
in 1967, suffering 10 dead. The war ended before the Iraqis had time to undertake any serious offensive action. Iraq played a more important role in the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
, when it sent 30,000 men, 250–500 tanks, and 700
APCs to the Syrian front just as the Syrians were on the verge of collapse. Combined Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian counterattacks prevented the Israelis from advancing further into Syria, but failed to push the Israelis back. The war ended in an Arab defeat, with Israeli forces standing 40 km from
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
.
Under
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
's rule, Israel regarded Iraq as a major security threat. In 1981, Israel carried out
Operation Opera
Operation Opera (), also known as Operation Babylon, was a surprise airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force on 7 June 1981, which destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor located southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. The Israeli operation ca ...
, bombing Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor to halt the development of nuclear weapons. Iraq, busy with the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
, did not respond. Throughout the war, Israel provided
clandestine support to Iran, viewing Iraq as a more serious threat than Iran.
During the
Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
in 1991, without provocation, Iraq fired 42
Scud
A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...
missiles at Israel, aiming to drag Israel into the war and thus imperil the US-led coalition, in which several Arab countries participated. Upon urging by the United States of Israel to stay out of the war, Israel did not retaliate.
According to British author
Nigel Ashton, in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...
sent a message to Hussein through
King Hussein of Jordan requesting a meeting between him and Hussein. Rabin hoped peace with Iraq might encourage
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
to do the same. Rabin
was assassinated in November, ending the contact between the two governments. Rabin had previously supervised
Operation Bramble Bush, a failed 1992 plan to assassinate Hussein with
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal () (formerly Unit 269 or Unit 262) (English: General Staff Reconnaissance Unit), is the special reconnaissance unit (''sayeret'') of Israel's General Staff (''matkal''). It is considered one of the premier special forces units of ...
commandos.
Saddam Hussein was widely revered in
Arab world
The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
for his
pro-Palestinian stance and he supported several Palestinian guerrilla and militant organisations. During the second
Palestinian intifada, Iraq gave monetary support to the families of Palestinian martyrs, including suicide bombers.
After the US invasion of Iraq
In 2003, a US-UK led coalition of nations toppled Hussein's government in an effort called
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
. Although Israel was not included in the coalition, there were indications of its support. According to
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
,
Netanyahu (as a private citizen) was ''profoundly forward-leaning and outspoken about the importance of invading Iraq''. It was reported in ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' that ''Israel is urging United States' officials not to delay a military strike against Iraq's Saddam Hussein'' It was also reported that Israeli intelligence provided Washington with alarming reports about Iraq's alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction.
On the contrary, some have argued that Israel did not have much role in pushing for the war. According to former US
Undersecretary of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...
Douglas Feith, Israeli officials did not push their US counterparts to initiate the war in Iraq. In an interview with
Ynet
Ynet (stylized in all lowercase) is an Israeli news and general-content website, and the online outlet for the '' Yedioth Ahronoth'' newspaper.
History
Ynet launched on June 6, 2000, in Hebrew, following other Hebrew outlet's website launches ...
, Feith stated that "what you heard from the Israelis was not any kind of advocacy of war with Iraq" and that "
at you heard from Israeli officials in private discussions was that they were not really focused on Iraq...
ey were much more focused on Iran."
Former
Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said in 2004 that Iraq would not reconcile its differences with Israel.
On 1 July 2008, Israeli
Defense Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak ( ; born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Labor Party between 1997 and 20 ...
shook hands and met briefly with
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at a conference of
Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism, consisting mostly of Social democracy, social democratic political parties and Labour mov ...
in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Barak and Talabani were both at the conference as representatives of their respective political parties,
Labour and
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; ) is a political party active in Kurdistan Region and the Disputed territories of Northern Iraq, disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination, human rights, democracy a ...
.
Iraqi MP
Mithal al-Alusi has twice visited Israel; once in 2004 and again in 2008, drawing protest from many in the Iraqi government. He has called for diplomatic relations and military intelligence sharing between Iraq and Israel.
[Iraq may execute MP for Israel visit]
''Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Je ...
'', 22 September 2008
During the
Gaza War (2008–09), the
Iraqi government condemned Israel for the attack, stating that: "the Iraqi government demands a halt to the military operations, that civilians’ lives are not unnecessarily exposed to danger and requests that the international community honour its responsibilities and take the required measures to stop the attack". The
Dawa Party of Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki (; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and as Vice President ...
called on Islamic countries to cut relations with Israel and end all "secret and public talks" with it.
In addition, the Iraqi Shia leader
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani (; born 4 August 1930) is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza of Najaf in Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims. After the invasion of ...
has called for decisive action by Arab and Muslim states for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza. After the 2010
Gaza flotilla raid
Ships of Gaza flotilla raid, Six civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were raided by Israel on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of the flotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with thirty woun ...
, an Iraqi government official, MP
Khairallah al-Basri (a member of former premier Nouri al-Maliki's Islamist
State of Law Coalition
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
), condemned the attack and described it as a "new humanitarian disaster," as well as, "a violation of human rights and a breach of international standards and norms." In July 2012 Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that Iraq will establish diplomatic relations with all countries except Israel.
Some Iraqi officials and Kurdish leaders have accused the Iraqi government of secretly smuggling oil to Israel. Kurdish MP Farhad al-Atroushi accused the Iraqi government of smuggling oil to Israel via Jordan. The allegation was denied by Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister
Hussain al-Shahristani and Jordan's Information and Communication Minister Rakan al-Majali. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki denied the allegation as well and in turn accused
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan () refers to the Kurds, Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan in West Asia, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdist ...
of smuggling oil to Israel.
Before the
2017 Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, Israel was the only major world power that supported the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan. In the subsequent Iraqi offensive to retake territories in Iraq which had been held by the
Peshmerga
The Peshmerga () are the internal security forces of Kurdistan Region. According to the Constitution of Iraq, regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as p ...
since
ISIL's Northern Iraq offensive in 2014 (known as the
Kirkuk Crisis), the Iraqi army quickly overran territories captured by the Kurdish
Peshmerga
The Peshmerga () are the internal security forces of Kurdistan Region. According to the Constitution of Iraq, regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as p ...
outside the borders of Iraqi Kurdistan during the
war on ISIL, including the city of
Kirkuk
Kirkuk (; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Cit ...
. During the brief war, Israeli
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
lobbied world powers to prevent further setbacks for Iraqi Kurds.
On 26 May 2022, the
Iraqi Council of Representatives passed a bill put forward by
Muqtada al-Sadr
Muqtada al-Sadr (; born 4 August 1974) is an Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric, politician and militia leader. He inherited the leadership of the Sadrist Movement from his father, and founded the now dissolved Mahdi Army militia in 2003 that resisted ...
prohibiting the normalization of relations with Israel, as well as "financial or moral assistance" to the country. Any violators of the law will be given either the
death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
or
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
. Out of the 329 seats, 275 voted in favour of the bill,
which will also be enforced on foreign companies in Iraq, members of the
Iraqi diaspora
The Iraqi diaspora refers to native Iraqis who have left for other countries as emigrants or refugees, and is now one of the largest in modern times, being described by the UN as a "humanitarian crisis" caused by the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 ...
, organizations, and foreigners visiting Iraq.
The
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
accused Iraq of "jeopardizing freedom of expression and promoting an environment of antisemitism" in response. British Foreign officials also expressed concerns about the law's implications.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacks on Israel
In November 2023, the
Islamic Resistance in Iraq began
military operations against Israel, targeting
Eilat
Eilat ( , ; ; ) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port of Eilat, port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The c ...
, the
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea (; or ; ), also known by #Names, other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valle ...
coastline, the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights
The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
, the
Karish gas field,
Haifa
Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
,
Ashdod
Ashdod (, ; , , or ; Philistine language, Philistine: , romanized: *''ʾašdūd'') is the List of Israeli cities, sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District (Israel), Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean ...
,
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona () is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanon, Lebanese border.
In it had a population of . Located near the Blue Line (withdrawal line), Israel ...
,
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
and in
Elifelet with drones and missiles. Many of the drones and missiles have been intercepted by the
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
and
Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; Arabic: سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, ''Silāḥ al-Jaww al-Malakī al-ʾUrdunī'') is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. Founded in 1955, the RJAF serves as the primary ...
. In October 2024, reports indicated that Iran-linked militias in Iraq had intensified their activities with drone and rocket attacks on Israel.
2024 military threat from Israel
In November 2024, Israeli news outlets began reporting that Israel may target the
Islamic Resistance in Iraq for its campaign against Israel during its wars
on Gaza and
on Lebanon. Unnamed officials allegedly told outlets that satellites monitored the transfer of ballistic missiles and related equipment from Iran to Iraqi territory.
On 19 November, Israel issued a letter to the
UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
asserting its right to self-defense against the Islamic Resistance in Iraq for its military campaign on Israel during its wars on Gaza and Lebanon. Iraqi Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned that the letter served as pretext for an attack on Iraq, aligning with Israel's efforts to expand the war in the region.
The Israeli security threat towards Iraq caused the Iraqi government to issue a statement that it would take all necessary diplomatic and military actions to protect its sovereignty. On 21 November, The Iraqi government requested an emergency session of the
Arab League Council through the Iraqi Permanent Mission to the Arab League to address the Israeli threats against Iraq. The request highlighted Israel's threats in its letter to the UN Security Council, where it sought to expand its aggression in the region to Iraq.
See also
*
Iraq–Palestine relations
*
Iraqi Jews in Israel
*
Arab–Israeli conflict
The Arab–Israeli conflict is a geopolitical phenomenon involving military conflicts and a variety of disputes between Israel and many Arab world, Arab countries. It is largely rooted in the historically supportive stance of the Arab League ...
*
Israeli–Kurdish relations
*
International recognition of Israel
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iraq-Israel relations
Arab–Israeli conflict
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
Bilateral relations of Israel