Iraq shares borders with Iran, which the United States and Israel struck heavily on February 28, and is close to Gulf countries targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Since the start of the war, fighter jets and missiles have moved through Iraq’s airspace from multiple directions, raising concerns that the country could be drawn further into the conflict.

In a phone call with Rubio, Sudani emphasized “the importance of ensuring that Iraqi airspace, territory, and waters are not used for any military action targeting neighbouring countries or the region,” according to the prime minister’s media office.

He also rejected “any attempt to drag the country into ongoing conflicts” and warned against “violations of its airspace by any party.”

Iraq has long been a proxy battleground between Washington and Tehran. The country was pulled into the conflict immediately after the strikes, with US and Israeli attacks targeting Iran-backed groups, which have since claimed retaliatory strikes on US bases in Iraq and other parts of the region.

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State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio urged Iraq to take “all possible measures to safeguard US diplomatic personnel and facilities.”

On Saturday, air defence systems intercepted rockets fired at the US embassy in Baghdad. US air defences now intercept drones almost daily over Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, which also hosts a US consulate complex.