Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated on March 8 at 1:49 a.m.)

Iraq’s parliament held a secret session on Saturday evening to assess the security repercussions of escalating tensions in the Middle East and their potential impact on Iraq, as the war between Washington and Tel Aviv on one side and Tehran on the other entered its eighth day.

Shafaq News correspondent said that Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi chaired the meeting, which gathered senior Iraqi security leaders and lawmakers after the chamber reached the required quorum. Parliament’s media office denied journalists access to the building, noting that the meeting would proceed as a classified session.

Before convening the session, according to our correspondent, the parliament presidency met with leaders of parliamentary blocs to examine the fallout from recent US–Israeli strikes and broader regional developments.

State of Law Coalition MP Ibtisam al-Hilali revealed to Shafaq News that lawmakers discussed the US attack on some headquarters of the security forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), adding that the parliament presidency will issue an official statement and forward recommendations to the government “to preserve Iraq’s security and sovereignty.”

Meanwhile, MP Duha al-Bahadli told our agency that discussions also addressed the US presence in the country, noting that lawmakers condemned the strikes, particularly the airborne operation in the desert near the provinces of Najaf and Karbala.

Parliamentary demands, she added, stressed that “Iraq’s unity and security are above all considerations,” warning that “Iraqi blood must not be underestimated,” and calling for continued support for the PMF and protection of its members.

Regional tensions intensified following joint US–Israeli strikes on sites inside Iran on February 28, which prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases across the region. In Iraq, factions aligned with Tehran have stepped up activity under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claiming rocket and drone attacks against what they describe as “enemy bases” in Iraq and neighboring areas. The country’s four presidencies reiterated on Thursday their longstanding rejection of using Iraq’s territory as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring states.

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