CAIRO, October 28. /TASS/. Iraq has submitted a formal protest to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council regarding Israel's use of Iraqi airspace for an airstrike on Iran.

"Iraq has officially sent a letter of protest to the Secretary-General and the Security Council of the United Nations, condemning Israel's blatant violation of Iraqi airspace for a strike on Iran on October 26," the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated in a document released via Telegram.

Additionally, the Iraqi premier has instructed the Foreign Ministry to "contact the United States regarding this violation of Iraqi sovereignty."

Iraq reiterated that it "will not permit the use of its airspace for attacks on any third countries, particularly neighbors with whom Iraq maintains respectful relations." Baghdad has vowed "to combat violations of Iraqi sovereignty at various levels" and called on all parties to resolve disputes "through dialogue."

On October 26, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it was conducting surgical strikes on military targets in Iran "in response to months of continuous attacks." The Iranian military reported that military facilities in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam were targeted but stated that Israel caused only limited damage. This strike was a retaliation for a massive missile attack launched against Israel by the Iranian military on October 1, in response to the assassination of several senior members of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.