Iraq files complaint with UN over Israel's use of airspace to attack Iran

Iraq has condemned Israel's use of its airspace to attack neighbouring Iran in a protest letter sent to United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, Baghdad said.

A statement from government spokesman Bassim Alawadi on Monday said the letter condemns "the Zionist entity's blatant violation of Iraq's airspace and sovereignty by using Iraqi airspace to carry out an attack on Iran on October 26".

Alawadi said the Iraqi foreign ministry would also bring up "this violation" in talks with the United States, Israel's close ally and top arms provider.

Israel on Saturday launched air strikes on military sites in Iran, risking further regional escalation more than a year into the Gaza war and a month into Israel's war in Lebanon.

The Israeli raid was in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack on October 1, itself retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.

The Iranian military said that some Israeli aircraft had fired a "small number of long-range missiles from a distance", inside the US-patrolled airspace of Iraq.

Iraq's strategic partnership with US

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran was "sure that no neighbouring country has given this permission to the Zionist regime" to use its airspace.

"We certainly hope that our friends in Iraq will announce the necessary reactions, including by registering their protest with the United Nations, and will not allow such incidents to happen again," Baghaei added.

Baghdad has close ties with Tehran but also a strategic partnership with Washington, which has troops in Iraq.

The Iraqi government has sought to avoid being dragged into the escalating regional conflict.