Natalia Sancha
El Pais / March 31, 2026
Following US strikes on national territory, the Iraqi prime minister asserts that the army will defend itself if attacked again: ‘We cannot stand idly by when we have martyrs and wounded’.
Baghdad – To reach the Government Palace in Baghdad — where Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani received EL PAÍS this Monday — you have to go into the so-called green zone, a part of the capital walled off by concrete blocks that faces the western bank of the Tigris and houses diplomatic and government headquarters, including the U.S. Embassy, a frequent target of attacks by pro-Iranian militias.
In office since 2022, Al-Sudani (Baghdad, 56 years old) leads a country that has postponed the formation of a new government since November due to the upheaval gripping the region caused by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. This is the second interview he has given to a media outlet since the start of the offensive.
Al-Sudani’s government is seeking a neutral stance and trying to avoid being drawn into a regional conflict that is already crippling its oil-dependent economy. This is a delicate manoeuvre between two opposing allies: the U.S., with a military presence in the country, and Iran, with which Iraq shares historical, commercial, political, and religious ties, as well as a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) border. This balance is becoming increasingly fragile as pro- and anti-Iranian militias operate from Iraqi soil in a crossfire of missiles and drones, further complicated by the actions of the U.S., Israel, and Iran, effectively sealing off Iraqi airspace.
Question: In the past 24 hours, there has been an attack on Syrian military bases launched from Iraq and another, of unknown origin, on Iraqi bases. How close is Iraq to being engulfed in the war ?
Answer: Iraq does not want to be a party to this war, which lacks any legal basis and constitutes aggression against a sovereign country. The religious and official leadership [of Iran] has been attacked, as the Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei] was assassinated in an unprecedented situation. This is a dangerous indicator of escalation and the adoption of individual decisions outside the framework of the international system. We are in a very sensitive region that is already the scene of an international war involving more than 14 countries. These are, unfortunately, individual decisions in accordance with the wishes and decisions of one person, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, whose government has been acting clearly and without any deterrent, outside the law and international conventions and norms since the events of October 7 [2023, the Hamas-led attacks on Israel]. Iraq is in the middle of this region and has been drawn into it due to the daily violations of its airspace by the Israeli occupation authorities and the U.S., as airspace is being violated and neighbouring Iran is being attacked. This has created a problem for us with the Iranian side, which is also violating Iraqi airspace, as its missiles are flying through Iraqi airspace toward Israel, in addition to some indirect acts of retaliation.
The Iraqi Constitution does not permit Iraqi soil to be used as a platform to attack neighbouring countries, and we are taking legal and on-the-ground measures. The state decides on matters of war and peace. No party or group has the right to infringe upon this right. Modern technology makes controlling such acts difficult. A simple drone used to record videos can be equipped with a small explosive device, transforming it into a bomb that can be launched from anywhere, from a car or a road. Our investigations and intelligence work continue, and our measures are a deterrent against anyone who carries out these acts, whether against neighbouring countries or against Iraq itself. The government is committed to protecting diplomatic missions and Western companies, as well as public and private property. We have arrested several individuals belonging to these groups, and they are now facing Iraqi justice.
The U.S. is pressuring Baghdad to disarm both the Iraqi armed factions that attack U.S. military bases and targets in Iraq, and also the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). What is your government’s position, given that the PMF operates under your command ?
We must distinguish between the PMF and the [armed] factions. The PMF is part of the security apparatus, established by law, and performs its functions under the authority of the state and the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. They made significant sacrifices in the war against the Islamic State [2014-2016] and are one of the most important guarantees of security and stability in Iraq. As for the factions [referring to the Iranian-backed armed groups that attack U.S. targets on Iraqi soil], these are armed groups with an ideology and doctrine, and they maintain a declared stance against any foreign presence in Iraq, in addition to their position on the Palestinian question. Whether we agree with them or not, the presence of any weapons outside of state institutions represents a challenge to the state.
Therefore, our government initiated diplomatic and negotiation efforts with all political forces, emphasizing the importance of ending the presence of any weapons outside of state institutions. We have also worked to end the mission of the international coalition [led by U.S. troops] that has been present in Iraq since 2014, which has been one of the government’s most significant achievements under very complex circumstances following the events of October 7, and which is to be completed by September 2026.
The U.S. has just announced the creation of a High Coordination Committee with Iraq, a day after reports that a U.S. aircraft killed seven Iraqi soldiers and wounded 23 others in Amber province. How is the war affecting the U.S.-Iraq alliance ?
Unfortunately, since the war began, there have been repeated attacks against the PMF, against our army, and recently, even against the police in the city of Mosul. We already have 100 martyrs and 200 wounded among all the attacks against the Iraqi people, and we have the full right to respond and to take all measures to counter this aggression. They attack our security forces under the pretext that they have connections with armed factions. This information is inaccurate, and the U.S. commander said they will investigate this because it appears he received inaccurate information. This is unacceptable; we are talking about lives, about people. Our security forces have the right to self-defense as a legal principle under the UN. We rely on this coordination committee to take measures on how to respond to intelligence gathering, the presence of certain individuals, or the stockpiling of weapons, and to prevent any aggression against our security forces. There was a violation of this agreement. There will be another meeting to establish a realistic mechanism to achieve this agreement.
When you say your army has the right to defend itself, do you mean that you will open fire on a U.S. fighter jet if they attack you again ?
The Americans claim to be unaware of some attacks, and that is a problem. It is common sense that the Armed Forces must defend themselves against unknown aggressions. We cannot stand idly by when we have martyrs and wounded. At the Habbaniyah military base, the clinic was attacked, causing deaths, and in the attack in Mosul, at a location just meters from a church, a brigadier and a police officer were killed. These are aggressions that we reject, and we have the right to defend ourselves.
How is the war affecting Iraq’s economy ?
Iraq is one of the countries most affected by the closure of trade in the Strait of Hormuz, because our state budget depends on oil exports, which have been reduced by 70% due to the war. We are looking for alternatives, although this will provide us with very small revenues compared to our production capacity. We are implementing new measures to transport oil by truck, activating the ITP Iraq-Turkey pipeline, through which we can export around 170,000 or 180,000 barrels per day [Iraq exported approximately 3.4 million barrels per day through its southern terminals in Basra via Hormuz before the war].
Baghdad invited Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to the Arab League summit it hosted last November. How would you describe relations with Spain, and what are the main areas of collaboration ?
The Iraqi-Spanish relationship has witnessed a paradigm shift during my administration. I received the Spanish prime minister at the beginning of my term and again at the Arab Summit. I also visited Spain and met with his majesty the king and the prime minister. We consider Spain a strategic partner. We have already signed a strategic partnership agreement with the EU and hope to sign a bilateral agreement with Spain as well. The foreign ministries of both countries are working to draft this document. We have welcomed Spanish companies with extensive experience in project implementation, and they are welcome to participate in various sectors, such as construction. Iraq maintains a very friendly stance, both at the governmental and public levels, toward Spain because of its courageous position against the occupation of Palestine and Lebanon and, more recently, against the aggressive war against our neighbour Iran. This is something that honours our dear friend Pedro Sánchez.
Natalia Sancha – journalist & photographer at El Pais
