Bagdad
According to Iraqi security officials, 12 Missiles strike near US consulate in north Iraq were fired at Irbil in northern Iraq on Sunday. They were near the US consulate. According to a US defense official, missiles were launched from Iran into the city.
There were no injuries reported. The damage caused by the strike was described differently by officials in the US and Iraq. Another US official stated that there were no injuries at US government facilities and that it was not possible to determine if the target was the consulate building. This consulate is currently unoccupied.
At first, an Iraqi official in Baghdad stated that several missiles had struck the US consulate. He claimed it was the victim of the attack. Lawk Ghafari (head of Kurdistan’s foreign media office) later stated that none of the missiles had hit the US consulate, but that some areas surrounding the compound were hit.
According to the US defense official, it is still unclear exactly how many missiles were launched and where they landed. Neither the US defense official nor the US media were authorized to speak publicly about the incident. The Associated Press spoke on condition that anonymity.
According to Iraqi security officials, there was no immediate information about casualties. They stated that the attack occurred shortly after midnight. It caused significant damage to the area. They spoke under anonymity to comply with regulations.
Unnamed officials from Iraq claimed that the ballistic missiles were launched from Iran. The type of missile could not be confirmed by the US officials.
According to the second US official, the incident is being investigated by both the government of Iraq as well as the Kurdish Regional Government. In a statement, the US said it condemned “outrageous attacks on Iraqi sovereignty” and other acts of violence.
This attack occurred several days after an Israeli strike in Syria’s Damascus killed two members from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The attack was strongly condemned by Iran’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, and they promised revenge.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted Iraqi media on Sunday acknowledging the attacks in Irbil. It did not say where they came from.
The satellite broadcast channel Kurdistan24 was set up near the US consulate. It went live from its studio within minutes of the attack.
Security officials stated that Irbil was attacked “with a lot of missiles” on Sunday morning. They also said that they were conducting an investigation into the incident and would provide more information later.
Missiles strike near US consulate in north Iraq
As negotiations in Vienna were over Tehran’s crumbling nuclear agreement came to a halt due to Russian demands for sanctions against Moscow for its war on Ukraine, the attack occurred.
The US’s top commander in the Middle East warned repeatedly about the growing threat of Iranian-backed militias attacking troops and allies in Iraq, Syria and other countries.
In a December interview with the Associated Press, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie stated that although US forces have shifted to a non combat role in Iraq, Iran and its proxies still want all American soldiers to leave the country. He said that this could lead to more attacks.
Last July, the Biden administration resolved to close the US combat mission against Iraq by 31 December. The US military gradually transitioned to an advisory role in last year’s operation. They will continue to provide air support and other military assistance for Iraq’s fight against Islamic State.
Iran has been critical of the US presence in Iraq for a long time. However, tensions rose after a US drone strike on January 2020 near Baghdad’s airport killed a top Iranian general. Iran launched a barrage missile attack on the al-Asad base, where US troops were stationed, in retaliation. In the explosions, more than 100 servicemen sustained traumatic brain injuries.
Recent events have shown that Iranian proxies were behind an attempted assassination of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi late last year.
Officials have stated that Iran is believed to be behind the attack on the military outpost in south Syria, where American troops are based. The attack did not result in any deaths or injuries for US personnel.
Al-Kadhimi tweeted, “The aggression that targeted the dear city Irbil and spread terror among its inhabitants is an attack upon the security of our citizens.”
Masrour Barzani was the prime minister in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. He condemned the attack. He posted on Facebook that he condemned the terrorist attack and said Irbil would not bow to cowards.
