UN to address Iraq developments in regular session

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to discuss developments in Iraq in a regular session on Tuesday following deadly Iranian strikes and protests against government formation in the country.

UN Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is expected to deliver a regular briefing on the latest developments in Iraq as the council is set to hold a session “on the situation concerning Iraq,” read a statement from The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). 

The UNAMI chief holds a regular briefing on developments in Iraq every four months. The last session was held in May. 

The upcoming meeting comes about a week after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired dozens of missiles and suicide drones on areas in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces under the pretext of targeting the bases of Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups stationed in the Kurdistan Region.

The recent Iranian attacks have been widely condemned by local and international authorities, criticizing Tehran for violating the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said during his weekly presser on Monday that it was “necessary to clean Iraq from the existence of these terrorist groups,” referring to Kurdish opposition groups based in the Region, adding that Iran always pays attention to preventing neighboring territories from becoming a threat to its national security.

The IRGC has accused the Kurdish armed groups of providing arms to the demonstrations in Iran, now in their third week, protesting the suspicious death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the country’s morality police.