Erbil (Iraq), March 13, 2022 SAFIN HAMED / AFP
The Revolutionary Guards, Tehran’s ideological army, on Sunday claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan regional government. Rockets fell near the US consulate, no one was injured. The guards say they targeted the “strategic center of the Zionist conspiracy” (Israelis, in official Iranian jargon) in Erbil in retaliation for Israel’s “recent crimes.” On March 7, two high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) were killed in Israeli attacks on Syrian territory that the elite unit promised to retaliate against.
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US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told US broadcaster CBS News on Sunday that the missile strike did not hit US targets or US citizens. The satellite TV channel Kurdistan24, located near the US consulate, said it was affected by the attack. Sullivan said Washington is in talks with the Iraqi government to help it better protect its cities from missile attacks. On the same day, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, to protest against the attack on his territory.
Significant escalation
Iranian leaders and soldiers have repeatedly denounced the presence of Israeli intelligence in the Iraqi Kurdistan region in the past, a move denied by Kurdish officials. On Sunday, Erbil Governor Umid Khushnav once again denied any Israeli presence in the region, calling Tehran’s accusations “unfounded.” On Monday, Israel did not respond to Iran’s statements.
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The Iranian strike on northern Iraq and Tehran’s open statement about it mark a significant escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran. An indirect confrontation between these longtime enemies has often played out in Iraq, a country whose government is allied with the two countries. Sunday’s attack comes as talks in Vienna to restart the 2015 Tehran nuclear deal have been put on hold since March 11 due to Moscow’s demands. Russia is demanding a guarantee from the United States that, if agreed, the sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the invasion of Ukraine will not affect its trade relations with Iran. A stance that some observers describe as “hostage taking” of the nuclear “deal”.
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