Iran Claims Responsibility for Missiles That Hit Near US Consulate in Iraq

A damaged building after an overnight attack in Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region on March 13, 2022. Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility on March 13 for a barrage of missiles that hit near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Iranian state media outlets.

“Once again, we warn the criminal Zionist regime that the repetition of any evil act will draw harsh, decisive, and devastating responses,” the Revolutionary Guard said in a reference to Israel’s government.

The statement appeared to suggest that Israel was operating the base, which state media outlets described as a “strategic center” of Israel, while another outlet claimed that it was operated by Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.

The Revolutionary Guard indicated that the missile strike, which resulted in no injuries or deaths, was in response to an Israeli airstrike in Syria about a week ago in which two Revolutionary Guard officers were killed.

Officials in Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region, confirmed the strikes late on March 12. Video footage uploaded to social media shows several missiles striking near the U.S. consulate in Erbil. Broadcaster Kurdistan 24, located in Erbil near the consulate, posted a video and photos online showing the damage that was done to its studio floor.

“I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Erbil and call on its resilient people to keep calm and follow the guidance of the security services,” Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a statement.

The damaged studio at the Kurdistan 24 TV building, after an overnight attack in Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on March 13, 2022. Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images

“We call on the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, the Arab League, the federal government, the Iraqi parliament, and the Iranian government to urgently investigate these baseless attacks,” the Kurdistan regional government wrote on social media.

The Fars News Agency, which is managed by the Revolutionary Guard, appeared to suggest that the missile attack was linked to the U.S. airstrike in early 2020 that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. After the commander’s death, Iran fired a barrage of missiles at a separate U.S. base in Iraq.

“Missiles hit the ‘Israeli-American’ bases at 01:20 local time; ’that’s not a coincidence.' IRGC-QF chief Soleimani was killed in #Iraq on 7Jan20—01:20 Iraq time,” Fars News wrote in a Twitter post.

Earlier on March 13, a U.S. State Department official told Fox News that the missiles were fired from Iranian territory.

“There is no damage or casualties at any U.S. government facility,” the spokesperson told the channel. “The incident is being investigated by the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government, and we refer you to them for comment. We condemn this outrageous attack and display of violence.”