Washington, US: The United States strongly criticized Iran for launching ballistic missile strikes near Irbil, a city in northern Iraq, and described these actions as reckless and inaccurate. Iran’s revolutionary guards have claimed responsibility, stating they targeted Israeli espionage centres in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The attack, which took place on Monday, resulted in the death of four individuals and injured six others, as reported by the Kurdistan Region Security Council. Iraq has denounced these strikes as a breach of its national sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has not issued an official statement regarding these significant developments.
In a related incident on Tuesday, Kurdish authorities reported shooting down three armed drones over Irbil airport, a location housing US and international forces. There was no immediate information on any damage or casualties from this incident.
These events occur amidst escalating tensions since the outbreak of conflict between Israel and the Iran-supported Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7. This conflict has begun to affect other areas, with Iran-allied militias becoming involved in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
Ms. Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated that the US is evaluating the situation but initially sees the Iranian missile strikes as careless and imprecise. She emphasized the US’s commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, noting that no US personnel or facilities were targeted in the attacks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed they destroyed a key Israeli Mossad espionage base in Iraqi Kurdistan with their missile strikes, stating this was a response to recent actions by Israel.
Iran has previously launched missile attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan, targeting locations it claims are used by Iranian separatist groups and Israeli agents.
The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Masrour Barzani, has condemned the latest attack on Irbil as an assault against the Kurdish people. A well-known businessman, Mr. Peshraw Dizayee, was among the four civilians killed, according to Mr. Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party.
The Revolutionary Guards also targeted Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria on Monday night. Explosions were reported in Aleppo and its surroundings, with missiles believed to have originated from the Mediterranean Sea.
The strikes in Syria were claimed to be retaliation for a suicide bombing earlier this month in Iran, which targeted people commemorating the anniversary of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani’s assassination by the US. This attack in Kerman, southern Iran, resulted in at least 94 deaths and numerous injuries.
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