The remarks by Hussein al-Shahristani, Iraq’s deputy prime minister responsible for energy affairs, mark the first time a senior Iraqi official has publicly warned Israel against entering its airspace, AFP reported on Monday.
The French news agency also quoted him as saying that "the (Americans) have assured us that they will never violate Iraqi airspace or Iraqi sovereignty by using our airspace to attack any of our neighbors."
"We have also warned Israel that if they violate Iraqi airspace, they will have to bear the consequences.”
The senior official said the issue had been discussed in Iraq's National Security Council, and the warning had been passed to Israel "through countries that they have relations with".
The United States, the Israeli regime and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with Washington and the European Union using the allegation to impose a series of illegal unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The Israeli regime, believed to be the sole possessor of nukes in the Middle East, has also frequently threatened Iran with an attack.
Tehran, however, has vehemently rejected the allegation and brushed off Tel Aviv threats, arguing that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has every right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.