SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday conducted a series of missile and ‘suicide’ drone attacks on the headquarters of the exiled Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region.
These attacks targeted multiple locations throughout Erbil’s Koya district, Bradost area, and Zirgwez sub-district of Sulaimani, killing two Kurdish-Iranian opposition members and injuring several others.
Nearly six hours after the attacks, the IRGC claimed responsibility for the attacks, proclaiming that “the diplomatic efforts to expel the Kurdish groups in Iraq had failed.”
“The security of Iran’s borders and internal affairs is a red line and Iraqi and Kurdistan Region officials must be loyal to the principle of peaceful neighborship,” the IRGC said in a statement.
While the attacks were targeting the Kurdistan Region, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the Iranian attacks, saying “we condemn the violations of the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani later condemned the Iranian strikes on the Kurdistan Region, asserting that “there is no excuse for Iran to target the Kurdistan Region.”
The US ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski said in a statement the US “strongly condemns” the Iranian drone and missile attack on the Kurdistan Region, calling on Iran to stop attacking its neighbor and the people of Iraq.
The U.S. strongly condemns the #Iranian drone & missile attack on the Iraqi @Kurdistan Region today & calls on Iran to stop attacking its neighbor & the people of Iraq. We stand w/@IraqiGovt’s leaders in Baghdad & the #IKR and condemn these violations of Iraqi sovereignty.
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) November 14, 2022
The US Department of State said in a statement the US “strongly condemns” Iran’s “continuous attacks” against the Kurdistan Region, urging the Iranian executive to stop the attacks that violate Iraq’s sovereignty and “refrain from new threats.”
British Consul General to Erbil David Hunt said Monday the UK “strongly” condemns Iran’s renewed strikes on the Kurdistan Region, urging Iran to cease this “aggression” against its neighbor immediately.
The UK strongly condemns Iran’s renewed attacks on the #KRI today. Iran must cease this aggression against its neighbour immediately.
— David Hunt (@DavidHuntFCDO) November 14, 2022
In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) condemned the renewed Iranian missile and drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, which “violate Iraqi sovereignty,” adding that Iraq should not be used as an arena to settle disputes and “its territorial integrity must be respected.”
We condemn renewed Iranian missile and drone attacks on KR, which violate Iraqi sovereignty. Iraq should not be used as an arena to settle scores and its territorial integrity must be respected. Dialogue between Iraq and Iran over mutual security concerns is the only way forward.
— UNAMI (@UNIraq) November 14, 2022
After almost nine hours of the attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gave a phone call to his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, who expressed his concern about the attacks, referring to them as a “clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” according to a statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry.
تُدينُ وزارة الخارجية وبعباراتٍ شديدةٍ ومُكَرَّرة، ما أقدَمَ عليه الجانب الإيرانيّ صباح اليوم، من قصفٍ مدفعيٍّ وبالطائرات المُسيَّرة، على عددٍ من مناطق إقليمِ كُردستانِ العراق، والتي أوقعت العديد من المواطنينَ الآمنين بين شهيدٍ وجريح.
رابط الخبر : https://t.co/rFl0bOS5B1 pic.twitter.com/JKu30OjQVk
— وزارة الخارجية العراقية (@Iraqimofa) November 14, 2022
The French Foreign Ministry later in the day condemned the new attacks, saying that the attacks “undermine the sovereignty of Iraq and international law, and threaten the stability of Iraq and the region.”
