PM Barzani urges Baghdad to act after Iran strikes Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government must decisively act against the “cowardly attack” by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Erbil that killed at least four civilians, a strike which was a “flagrant violation of Iraq’s and the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty,” Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Tuesday. 

“I condemn this cowardly attack on the people of the Kurdistan Region in the strongest terms,” Barzani said in a statement. “I urge the federal government in Baghdad to take a principled position against the flagrant violation of Iraq’s and the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty.” 

At least five ballistic missiles struck Erbil in the late hours of Monday as the city was shook by sounds of loud bangs and explosions. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the strikes, claiming to have hit “spy headquarters” of anti-Iran groups in the Kurdistan Region. The strikes killed at least four civilians and injured 17 others. Heavy material damages were incurred on residences near Erbil-Pirmam road.

“I also call on the international community not to remain silent in the face of repeated attacks against the people of Kurdistan,” Barzani stated.

On Tuesday, the United States condemned the “reckless and imprecise” IRGC attack, saying that no US personnel or facilities were targeted and that Washington will continue to assess the situation.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council earlier condemned the attacks as “blatant violation” of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty.

“The IRGC said the attack targeted several positions of Iranian opposition groups. Unfortunately, they always use baseless excuses to attack Erbil,” the security council said in a statement in the early hours of Tuesday, adding that the Kurdish capital “has never been a source of threat to any party.”

Peshraw Dizayee, a well-known Kurdish businessman and the owner of Falcon Group which runs major projects such as Empire World, succumbed to his injuries around 1:00 am on Tuesday after his house was struck by a missile, former deputy speaker of the Kurdistan Region parliament Hemin Hawrami confirmed on X.

Karam Mikhail, a businessman who was visiting Dizayee, was also killed in the attack according to Rudaw's reporter. 

Dizayee’s youngest daughter, Zhina, was also killed in the IRGC attack, ten days before her first birthday, Rudaw has learnt. His wife Hana, two sons Rawan and Rozh, and eldest daughter also suffered injuries. 

“In the next few days, we will work with our partners in the international community to stop these brutal attacks against our innocent people,” Barzani affirmed. 

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani last week said that the Region will not become a “source of threat” to Iran, amid threats by the IRGC to launch attacks on Erbil for allegedly housing secret Mossad bases. 

In late December, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani reiterated that there are no Israeli bases in the Kurdistan Region, a day after a pro-Iran militia claimed it had struck an Israeli base in Erbil with a drone.

In March of 2022, Iran attacked Erbil with twelve ballistic missiles, striking the residence of a well-known Kurdish businessman. The IRGC claimed responsibility for targeting “the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracy and evil by point-to-point missile.”

Updated at 5:58am