No Israeli targets in Kurdistan Region for Iran to attack: KRG spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has dismissed a warning given on Friday by an Israeli spokesperson that Iran may attack Israelis in “the Kurdish area in Iraq” as “inaccurate”.

Tensions between longtime adversaries Iran and Israel rose once more with the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last week.

Top Iranian officials have blamed Israel for Fakhrizadeh’s death, and some have vowed revenge.

Ofir Gendelman, spokesperson to Arab media for the Israeli prime minister warned on Friday of the threat of retaliation against Israelis across the Caucasus, Middle East and Africa.

“In light of the latest Iranian threats & given Iranian involvement in terror attacks, there is concern that Iran will try to attack Israelis in nearby countries such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain,the Kurdish area in Iraq as well as throughout the region & Africa,” Gendelman said on Twitter.

KRG spokesperson Jotiar Adil dismissed Gendelman’s statement as “inaccurate”.

“As we have said multiple times in the past, Israel does not have any interests in the Kurdistan Region and there is no Israeli citizen in the Kurdistan Region. Therefore, we deny this inaccurate statement - no matter the purpose for which it was made,” Adi l said.

Israeli officials have declined to comment on Fakhrizadeh’s killing.