Erbil, London: Iran's attack is a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty

Shafaq News/ The Kurdish Prime Minister and the British Minister of State for Asian and Middle Eastern Affairs considered the missile bombing that targeted Erbil a "blatant violation of Iraqi politics."

Kurdistan government's media office said, "on Wednesday, PM Masrour Barzani received a phone call from the U.K.'s Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East, Amanda Milling, and discussed the Iranian missile attack on Erbil, describing it as "A flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty."

The Prime Minister highlighted the efforts with the federal government to "confront the misleading campaigns and defamation that are used as a pretext to launch attacks on Kurdistan," calling on the United Kingdom to support Erbil and Baghdad in this regard.

In Turn, Minister Melling reiterated that the United Kingdom "support the people of the Region" and expressed full support for the security and stability of Kurdistan and Iraq.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) called today to form an international fact-finding mission to investigate the Iranian accusations of having Israeli headquarters in Erbil.

The KRG's media office said that the government discussed the missile attack "on the residential areas of Erbil, and the Federal Prime Minister (Mustafa Al-Kadhimi) visit to the site."

The Kurdish Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, stressed that the attack "targeted the citizens of the Kurdistan, their security and the sovereignty of Iraq."

"Iraq and the international community must end such attacks and violations against the citizens of the Region and Iraq."

Barzani added that the accusations against Kurdistan are "not true at all," renewing the Cabinet's strong condemnation.

 The Council of Ministers also called for forming an international committee composed of representatives of the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region to investigate the incident.

Iran attacked Erbil on Sunday, March 13, with a dozen ballistic missiles in an unprecedented assault on the capital of Kurdistan.

The missiles came down in areas near a new U.S. consulate building, but no Americans were injured. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed responsibility. It said that the attack was against "Israeli "strategic centers in Erbil," suggesting it was revenge for recent Israeli airstrikes that killed Iranian military personnel in Syria.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi headed a delegation of officials of the Ministers of Defense and Interior to visit the Erbil Governorate.

Al-Kadhimi met with the Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, the leader Masoud Barzani, and the Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, to follow up on the situation.

He also visited the attack sites, including the destroyed houses and Kurdistan 24 building.

After meeting Kurdish President, Al-Kadhimi said that the attack represents a "deep concern," adding, "We came today to Erbil to stand by and support Kurdistan."

Concerning Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps' statement claiming that the attack was against "Israeli "strategic centers in Erbil, President Barzani denied the presence of any Israeli base in the Region, considering this rumor is "baseless."

"We demand the Iraqi federal government and the international community to recognize these offensives and spare no effort to curb the country's sovereignty and stability, and the people's security and safety." He said.