Iraq seeks to tighten border security, electronics inspections following explosions in Lebanon

The Iraqi government announced on Wednesday its intention to bolster security checks along its borders to prevent "potential breaches" or security threats, particularly concerning the import of "electronic devices." The measures follow deadly explosions in Lebanon that targeted hundreds of radio communication devices (pagers) used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah members. Israel is being blamed for the explosions. 

The latest series of blasts—targeting pagers and other electronic devices—on Wednesday killed around 20 people and wounded 450, including children. The attacks followed similar explosions the day before, which killed 12 people and injured 2,800.

Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chaired a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday. A statement from al-Sudani's office emphasised, "The council stressed the need for border crossings to take necessary preventive measures to avoid any potential breach."

The statement further noted, "The council also stressed the importance of thorough security checks on imports, especially electronic devices, before contracts are signed and only dealing with reputable companies during the import process."

Additionally, the council was briefed on the latest developments in Lebanon and reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to continue providing medical and humanitarian aid to assist those affected.

The Iraqi government on Tuesday condemned Israel for the deadly explosions and sent medical teams and supplies to aid the Lebanese authorities cope with the difficult situation, as the hospitals are full of wounded persons. 

Politically, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Shiite National Movement, announced the cancellation of the planned million-man demonstrations in Baghdad, citing the recent "Zionist recklessness and terrorism" in Palestine and Lebanon, backed by the U.S., as the reason.

In a tweet on the X platform (formerly Twitter), al-Sadr criticised the attacks and the failure of the international community to hold Israel accountable. He noted that the demonstrations would be "ineffective in light of the gravity of the Zionist-American terrorism and the events unfolding in the region."

Al-Sadr emphasised that the planned protests were "no longer useful" given the current situation, as the scale of the attacks against the people of Palestine and Lebanon has outpaced the purpose of such demonstrations.

Meanwhile, Houthi officials expressed concern over their own pager devices, stating they would conduct thorough inspections to ensure they had not been compromised, similar to the recent incidents involving Hezbollah's communication devices in Lebanon.

Iraq remains vulnerable to regional instability. The Israeli army said a drone intercepted by an Israeli fighter jet early on Wednesday near the Sea of Galilee had been launched from Iraq.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, representing the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, has claimed several drone attacks against Israel amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths.

In retaliation for Israel's bombardments on Gaza, Iraqi factions aligned with Iran have claimed to have conducted multiple attacks on Israeli targets and military bases hosting United States forces in Iraq and Syria.