Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles, targeting what they claimed were Israeli “spy headquarters” in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and also hitting alleged ISIS-linked targets in northern Syria. The attacks resulted in at least eight explosions in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, causing four fatalities and six injuries, according to the regional security council.
The IRGC asserted that the missile strikes aimed to dismantle espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the region. While Iran’s government celebrated the offensive as retaliation for perceived threats and recent attacks, Iraq condemned it as “aggression” and a violation of sovereignty, considering measures, including a possible complaint to the United Nations Security Council.
The IRGC specifically claimed to target the headquarters of the Israeli spy agency Mossad in Erbil, asserting it was in response to alleged atrocities by the Zionist regime. The Kurdish Prime Minister denounced the attack as a “crime against the Kurdish people,” while Erbil’s Governor labeled it a “terrorist attack.”
The missile assaults elicited a response from the U.S. Department of State, with spokesperson Matthew Miller describing them as “reckless” and undermining Iraq’s stability. The U.S. officials reported that the attacks did not impact U.S. facilities, and there were no U.S. casualties. The strikes come amid heightened tensions in the region, fueled by Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
While this represents a departure from Iran’s recent efforts to distance itself from regional tensions, analysts suggest it may not signal a broader escalation. The U.S. Department of State emphasized that Iran was not targeting the United States in these attacks, highlighting the desire to avoid further escalation.
The attacks targeted alleged perpetrators of recent “terrorist operations” in Iran, particularly ISIS, in Syria. Explosions were reported in Aleppo and its countryside, with missiles falling from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea. Observers note that this marks a notable escalation in Iran’s response to perceived threats and recent incidents within its borders.
