Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched a ballistic missile attack Monday night on what it described as a "central hub for planning regional espionage and terrorist operations, with a specific focus on Iran" in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region.
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The Iranians claimed to have fired 24 missiles at various targets, including the Airbase Harir in Erbil, which hosts U.S. forces and serves as a secondary front to the ongoing fighting in Gaza, alongside other U.S. military bases across the region. The IRGC said that the attack was a direct response to the recent assassinations of some of its commanders.
As part of the attack, the home of Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dzeyi was struck by Iranian missiles, killing him, his one-year-old daughter Zhina and other family members.
Dzeyi, the owner of Falcon Group, a worldwide supply chain delivery company, was involved in construction, agriculture, oil and security. The Iranians claimed, without evidence, that he was involved in espionage activities for Mossad and allegedly assisted in coordinating several attacks against the Islamic Republic.
This marks the first time since the start of the war that Iran itself has claimed to have struck Israeli targets, joining several militias it funds across the region that have made similar claims.
Lebanese newspaper Al Mayadeen reported that a base of Israel's Unit 8200 in Erbil had sustained a UAV attack. Last month, the pro-Iranian Islamic Resistance in Iraq militia, claimed responsibility for attacking a purportedly Israeli espionage center in Erbil.
The IRGC orchestrated a similar attack in March 2022, claiming to have struck an Israeli "strategic center" in northern Iraq. The attack came on the heels of Kurdish reports of ballistic missile impact in the vicinity of Erbil and the U.S. consulate. Iran has accused Israel of assassinating two high-ranking IRGC officers in Syria and issued a stern warning, stating "any Israeli aggression would be met with a resolute and devastating retaliation."
Erbil Governor Omed Abdulrahman Hassan said that Iranian missiles had failed to hit their intended targets and denied the existence of secret foreign bases or facilities in Kurdistan. Iraq's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying it violated Iraqi sovereignty. Last week, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein denied the presence of any Mossad personnel or affiliates in the Harir Airbase.
Israeli-Kurdish relations have been warm and welcoming for decades. Israel was among the only countries around the world to recognize the results of a 2017 referendum on the Kurdistan Region's independence, with 92% of votes cast in favor of independence.
Israel has maintained ties with the Kurds since the 1960s and 70s, during which time Israeli intelligence agents operated in Iraqi Kurdistan in collaboration with Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the father of the current Kurdish leader.