The U.S. latest attack against Iran was premeditated and aimed at putting Iran in a strategically tricky position, an Iraqi former military spokesman said in an interview with China Media Group on Sunday.
During the interview, Abdul Karim Khalaf, former spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, said the statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump before the attack against Iranian nuclear sites aimed to buy time for the U.S. side.
Khalaf said after the attack, Iraq's sovereignty and national security also faced indirect threats.
"Trump's remarks can be regarded as a means of deception. He previously said there would be no 'imminent' attack against Iran, and yet the attack did happened. Therefore, the West actually premeditated this attack long ago. The U.S. attack on Iran has made the situation in the region more sensitive. Some Iraqi Shiite militia armed groups have issued threats that if the personal safety of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is threatened, they will carry out full-scale strikes against all relevant targets of the U.S. [in Iraq]," said Khalaf .
"But for now, it appears that the Iraqi government has reached a tacit understanding with these militia groups, aiming to keep Iraq out of the conflict. The Iranian side also does not want these militia armed groups to take military actions proactively. Iran hopes and needs Iraq to remain safe and stable. Iran itself has sufficient ability to respond. Therefore, if the situation escalates further, it is not a wise move and will not bring any effect. It will only make the Israeli side more aggressive and turn its focus towards Iraq," said the former official.
Against the backdrop of a possible counterattack by Iran against the U.S., the U.S. side is stepping up its military deployment to prevent attacks on its facilities in Iraq. Khalaf disclosed that the air defense systems of U.S. military bases in Iraq have been strengthened, showing the high vigilance of the U.S. side over the expansion of the conflict in the region.
"The U.S. has indeed strengthened the security of its troops stationed in Iraq, especially enhancing the air defense system at the al-Asad Airbase. It has also deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at the bases in Syria along the borders with Jordan and Iraq, with a coverage area of up to 200 to 300 kilometers. The U.S. army has also strengthened its air defense system at the Harir Airbase in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq," he said.
The United States has completed attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan on Sunday local time.
The U.S. air raids on Iran came on the ninth day after Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13.
US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities premeditated long ago: Iraqi former military spokesman
