Baghdad seeks Tehran’s position on Erbil drone attack
Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Tehran
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Monday pressed Iran to clarify its official position on the drone attack targeting Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s residence and office in Erbil, during a phone call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
Hussein described the attack, carried out with Hadeed-110 drones, as “unjustified” and a “dangerous escalation” that could threaten Iraq’s security and regional stability, calling on Tehran to clarify the parties or motives behind the incident.
He noted that Iran had previously justified attacks in the Kurdistan Region by citing the presence of Iranian opposition parties or factions, but argued that directly targeting the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) prime minister’s residence marked a “dangerous precedent.”
Araghchi expressed surprise over the attack and said he had no information indicating that it originated from Iranian territory. He maintained there was no justification for such an act, particularly given Tehran’s “positive and strong relations” with Erbil and the Kurdistan Region’s two main political parties.
The Iranian FM further rejected actions that could fuel escalation or undermine stability and pledged to issue an official statement clarifying Tehran’s position on the incident.
Read more: Iran: Drone attack on PM Barzani’s office ‘Highly Suspicious"
Earlier today, two explosive-laden drones targeted Barzani’s office and the residence of Erbil’s security chief, causing no casualties, the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) reported. Iraq’s Parliament urged the federal government and relevant security agencies to take necessary measures, while Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation, with the findings to be made public “as soon as possible.”
The attack followed a series of drone, missile, and artillery strikes on Iranian Kurdish opposition bases and Peshmerga positions across the Kurdistan Region, killing at least nine people and wounding eight between July 17 and August 12. Iran claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, while others were launched from inside Iraq or remain unattributed, based on statements from Barzani and the targeted parties.
Read more: Nearly four weeks of attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
