Iraq’s foreign minister has told reporters that his country is reluctant to sanction Iranian airlines, even as US officials push a new wave of sanctions on Iran.
Fuad Hussein, speaking at the Iraqi embassy, said Iraq “became a victim” of the US-Iran war and that its economy and people have suffered attacks from multiple countries. He made the comments ahead of a trip to Washington, where he will meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading “Operation Economic Outcast” to cut Tehran’s business ties with other nations.
The Victim’s Statement
Hussein’s words were blunt. “We became a victim of this war — we, Iraq,” he told a small group of reporters at the Iraqi embassy. “Our economy became a victim, but our people also. We have been attacked many times by various countries in the conflict.”
He added that “we don’t want to be part of this conflict,” but is willing to help mediate if asked. The remarks came one day after President Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
The foreign minister’s message was simple: Iraq is caught in a war it did not start, and it does not want to make itself a casualty of it.
The Pilgrim Numbers
Hussein laid out the stakes in concrete terms. He estimated that about 5 million Shiite religious pilgrims from Iran visit Iraq annually, while about 3 million Iraqi pilgrims visit Iran. He called the issue “one of the most sensitive” for Iraq because it concerns religious sites and would create huge problems.
“This is one of the most sensitive issues for us because it has to do with the religious [sites],” he said. “This will create huge problems because at the end it has to do with religious subjects.”
The foreign minister is a longtime Iraqi politician who is both Kurdish and Shiite. He said Iraq is attempting to maintain good relations with both the US and Iran, but holds each responsible for involving his nation in the more than seven-month war.
“Iraq has been attacked by the countries in conflict — that means for a while the Americans attacked Iraq, but the Iranians also attacked Iraq,” he said.
“We are not part of this war… We are emphasizing on the solution through negotiations and talks but we are not intervening in American politics; this is their own policy.”
“There are common grounds and there are some areas where we have got different opinions,” he added. “We are trying to enlarge the common ground. That is our mission. We want to have both sides discussing, meeting, negotiating.”
The Troop Withdrawal
Trump on Wednesday celebrated the departure of US forces from Iraq after more than two decades while touting the new leadership in Baghdad.
“This day is a victory for the United States. It’s a victory for Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS,” Trump said, praising new prime minister Ali al-Zaidi as a “fantastic guy, a friend of mine and somebody I supported from the very beginning and I fully endorsed.”
The withdrawal ends a presence that stretched back to 2003, when US troops entered Iraq following the ouster of Saddam Hussein. They stayed until 2011, then returned in 2014 to battle the Islamic State group.
The ISIS Warning
Hussein, who has held his post since 2020, described the ISIS threat as continuing. He said that “there are hundreds of ISIS terrorists” in Syria “if not thousands.”
“If they would be capable to cross the border, that would be once again a threat to our security,” he said.
The warning comes as the US withdraws, but it shows that the conflict is not over for Iraq.
The Oil Picture
Iraq sits at the center of several competing interests. Its oil industry is the engine of its economy, and it depends heavily on international transit routes.
Baghdad is exporting between 2.5 million and 2.6 million barrels of oil per day through the Strait of Hormuz with American help. A pipeline to Turkey resumed operations in March after the war began, and now carries about 200,000 barrels per day, with plans to reach 700,000 per day.
Last year, Iraq exported roughly 3.45 million barrels per day of crude oil.
Hussein said that Iraq is in talks with both Syria and Jordan about new pipeline projects that would bypass the waterway impeded by the war.
The Disarmament Card
Hussein also revealed that he had just spoken with the Iraqi prime minister and learned that a fifth Iran-backed militia group had agreed to disarm by next summer, leaving two holdouts.
That move could ease some of the tension between Baghdad and Washington, though it does not address the broader sanctions push. The militia disarmament is a separate issue from the economic standoff, but both reflect Iraq’s difficult position.
The country is under pressure from multiple directions, and Hussein is trying to navigate a narrow path that keeps Iraq’s economy open while avoiding a full break with either the US or Iran.
What Comes Next
The coming days will test whether Iraq can hold its ground. Bessent’s visit to Baghdad will be closely watched, as will any moves by the administration to tighten the screws on Tehran.
Hussein’s message is clear: Iraq is not joining the conflict. Whether Washington listens is another question.
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US troop withdrawal from Iraq | Wednesday | Trump called it “a victory for the United States. It’s a victory for Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS.” |
| Pipeline to Turkey resumed | March | Carries about 200,000 barrels per day, with plans to reach 700,000 per day |
| Iraqi oil exports | Last year | Roughly 3.45 million barrels per day of crude oil |
The Paper’s View
Iraq’s refusal to join the sanctions campaign is a sensible position, not a betrayal. The country has been caught between two great powers, and it is not about to become a victim of Washington’s campaign against Tehran.
The US should respect that choice. Iraq has been a partner in the fight against ISIS, and it deserves to maintain its own relationships without being punished for them.
Iran is a rival, not an ally, but that does not mean Iraq should be treated as a vassal. The administration’s approach to Iran is aggressive, but it should leave room for countries like Iraq to chart their own course.
Hussein’s position is consistent with that view. He wants dialogue, not isolation. He wants to resolve conflicts through negotiation, not through punishing economic pressure.
The Bottom Line
Iraq is not backing down. The country has suffered enough from this war, and it is not about to become a victim of Washington’s campaign against Tehran.
The pipeline to Turkey, the pilgrimages, and the oil exports all show that Iraq has legitimate interests at stake. Cutting off those links would hurt Iraq as much as it hurts Iran.
Hussein has made his position clear. Now it is up to Washington to respond.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Iraq’s reluctance to sanction Iranian airlines and is against Operation Economic Outcast’s pressure on Baghdad to cut Tehran’s business ties. The administration’s approach to Iran is aggressive, but it should leave room for countries like Iraq to chart their own course.
Iraq has been caught between two great powers, and it is not about to become a victim of Washington’s campaign against Tehran. The country has been a partner in the fight against ISIS, and it deserves to maintain its own relationships without being punished for them.
Hussein’s position is consistent with that view. He wants dialogue, not isolation. He wants to resolve conflicts through negotiation, not through punishing economic pressure.
Source material: “‘Victim’ Iraq balks at sanctioning Iranian airlines ahead of DC talks: ‘We don’t want to be part of this conflict’,” the New York Post.
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