Iran Takes Responsibility for Missile Strike Near U.S. Consulate in Iraq

On Sunday, Iran took credit for firing ballistic missiles near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq. Erbil is the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Initial reports claimed that the missiles had hit the consulate building, but the Kurdistan foreign media later confirmed that the missiles had only struck near the facility. The building, which is unoccupied, was not damaged, and no casualties were reported, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a news conference.

According to the New York Post, the missile strike was in response to an Israeli strike that killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in Syria. On the Revolutionary Guard website, the group claimed that it was targeting Israel and had launched the attack on an alleged “Israeli spy center.”

The group also warned Israel that it would respond with “destructive” measures if it were to attack Iran again.

“Any repetition of attacks by Israel will be met with a harsh, decisive and destructive response,” the military group said in a statement.

The U.S. strongly condemned the attack calling it an unjustified attack on civilians.

“The United States condemns in the strongest terms Iran’s missile attack on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Sunday.

“This attack targeted a civilian residence in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region’s capital city, without any justification. The United States stands with Prime Minister Kadhimi and the leaders of the Kurdistan Region, President Nechirvan Barzani, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in condemning this assault on the sovereignty of Iraq and its Kurdistan region,” he added.

“We will support the Government of Iraq in holding Iran accountable, and we will support our partners throughout the Middle East in confronting similar threats from Iran. The United States of America stands behind the full sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq. 

According to the Associated Press, the missile attack was an indication of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Danny Mark

Kayla Koslosky is the former Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.