(Adnkronos) – In phone talks with counterpart Fuad Hussein on Friday, foreign minister Antonio Tajani conveyed Italy’s solidarity with Iraq over the spate of “unacceptable attacks” this month amid an escalation in the region since the United States-Israel war on Iran began in late February – a conflict which shows no sign of abating.
“To the Foreign Minister of Iraq 🇮🇶 @Fuad_Husseein, I reiterated Italy’s solidarity in the face of the unacceptable attacks suffered, underscoring the priority of the safety of our military personnel and compatriots,” Tajani wrote on X.
“We agreed on the need to resolutely pursue the path of de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue to rapidly resolve the ongoing crisis,” Tajani’s post continued.
“We are working to strengthen the partnership also with Baghdad,and will continue to support the role that Iraq plays as a factor for stability and dialogue in the region,” said the post.
A French soldier was killed and six others were wounded on Friday when an Iran-made drone attack in northern Iraq’s Erbil governorate targeted a counterrorism training exercise. A pro-Iranian group in Iraq, Ashab Ahl al-Kahf, claimed the attack and said in a statement on Friday that French interests “in Iraq and the region” would be in their crosshairs, French media reported.
An overnight air strike that hit an Italian military based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region with no casualties was deliberate, Italy’s defence ministry said on Thursday, stating that the strike had targeted a facility hosting Nato personnel.
Explosives-laden Iranian boats reportedly attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters late on Wednesday after they had loaded fuel cargoes in two Iraqi ports, setting them ablaze and killing a crew member.
