Attacks should stop, according to Jeanine Hennis-Plasscha, who also calls for “reining in armed actors operating outside state control.”
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the chief of the UN political mission in Iraq, informed the Security Council that she planned to retire at the end of May and that the nation was “on a knife edge.”
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, appointed the former Dutch minister of defense in the latter part of 2018. In addition to assisting in the coordination of development and humanitarian relief, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq seeks to promote inclusive political discussion.
An atmosphere that is conducive to stability and progress will be necessary for Iraq to proceed on its current trajectory. Furthermore, this kind of atmosphere calls for moderation on all fronts, Hennis-Plasschaert informed the 15-member Security Council on Tuesday.
Since Israel started its assault in Gaza on October 7 in response to the Hamas attack, militants associated with Iran, known as the “Axis of Resistance,” have been attacking Israeli and US targets from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.
Following decades of strife, Iraqi officials warned that Washington’s attacks in response created a vicious cycle of violence that threatened to reverse the country’s progress toward stabilization.
“The situation is obviously still unstable, even if we are aware that several authorities and actors are working to prevent further escalation. According to Hennis-Plasschaert, Iraq and the surrounding area are still precariously unstable, with even the slightest miscalculation potentially sparking a massive conflict.
“And, as stated many times in past years, this must include reining in armed actors operating outside state control,” she said, emphasizing the “urgent need to cease attacks, be they originating from within or outside” of Iraq.