BAGHDAD, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Friday warned that dragging Iraq into the ongoing war could expand the conflict regionally, while cautioning that any disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a "major energy crisis."
In a phone call with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, the Iraqi minister also condemned an attempted attack on an Italian military unit in the country's northern Kurdistan region, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
For his part, Tajani affirmed Italy's solidarity with Iraq in confronting attacks targeting its security and stability, the statement said.
A French soldier was killed in an attack in Erbil province, which French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Friday, stating the soldier "died for France" and several others were wounded.
Italy and France maintain military forces in Iraq as part of a broader international coalition to advise and train local forces against Islamic State militants.
The attack follows heightened regional tensions after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, to which Iran and regional pro-Tehran forces responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East. ■
