Kurdistan
The aftermath of the deadly IRGC attack with ballistic missiles on Erbil on January 16, 2023. Photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several foreign diplomatic missions to Iraq on Tuesday condemned Iran’s attack on Erbil the previous night, agreeing that the attack constituted a “violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
In the late hours of Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil, under the pretext of targeting “spy headquarters” of anti-Iran groups, killing at least four and wounding 17 others.
“I condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s deadly missile attacks on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which recklessly and indiscriminately targeted civilians, and the drone attacks on Erbil Air Base,” said US Ambassador to Baghdad on X.
“These latest attacks are clear violations of Iraq’s sovereignty,” she added.
I condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s deadly missile attacks on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which recklessly & indiscriminately targeted civilians, and the drone attacks on Erbil Air Base. These latest attacks are clear violations of Iraq’s sovereignty. We offer condolences to…
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) January 16, 2024
UK’s Ambassador to Baghdad Stephen Hitchen also condemned the attack on Erbil.
“I condemn Iran’s act of aggression against Erbil, a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those killed in these attacks and express my support for the Kurdistan Regional Government at this critical time,” said Hitchen.
Canada’s ambassador to Iraq Kathy Bunka, and Japan’s envoy to the country, Futoshi Matsumoto, also condemned the attack on X.
Matsumoto stressed that “Iraqi sovereignty and peace should be respected by all parties,” and Bunka extended condolences to the families of the victims and the injured.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in a statement condemned the Iranian attacks on Erbil, calling them "unprovoked and unjustified actions" in violation of Iraq's territorial integrity.
The UK condemns the Iranian regime’s attacks in Erbil last night.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 16, 2024
These unprovoked and unjustified actions are an unacceptable violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.
Germany, France, and the Netherlands also “strongly condemned” the attack, with France's foreign ministry issuing a statement describing Iran's strikes on Erbil as "flagrant, unacceptable, worrying violations of Iraq’s sovereignty." The statement added that such acts contribute to the escalation of regional tensions and must therefore stop.
Iraq’s foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced “the Iranian aggression” against Erbil, labeling the attack “a violation” of Iraqi sovereignty. The ministry later announced that it had summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires in Baghdad, handing him a “protest note” condemning the attack, and its own ambassador to Tehran for “consultations in light of the recent Iranian attacks on Erbil.”
Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry said on his Telegram channel that the attacks were in line with “the defense of the country's sovereignty and security, combating terrorism,” adding that Tehran will not hesitate to use its “legitimate and legal right” to confront what it considers “a threat” to its national security.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency condemned in a statement on Tuesday the IRGC attack “in the strongest terms,” adding that Tehran’s justification is “completely false and unfounded.”
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said during a press conference while attending the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, that Iran’s deadly missile attack on Erbil the previous night is an indication that Iraq and the Region are still very prone to terrorist attacks and are therefore still in need of the assistance of the United States-led coalition forces.
Updated at 7:17 pm
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