A senior cleric has called on the Iraqi government to not consent to the country becoming a launch pad for US military operations.

Representative of Iraq's most revered Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali-al-Sistani, Sheikh Abdel Mahdi al-Karbalai, cautioned the Iraqi government against any move which would turn the country into a base for US military operations against neighboring countries, the Voices of Iraq news agency reported.

Using Iraq as a launch pad for military operation against its neighbors would cause tension, trouble and fear and it would have grave security and political consequences, al-Karbalai said.

The remarks were made amid US attempts to sign a security pact with Iraq which critics say would enable Washington to attack Iraq's neighbors.

The so-called Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) has so far met fierce opposition by Iraq's religious and political figures who believe the pact would violate Iraq's sovereignty and is against the country's national interests.

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