Iran Claims to Strike Israeli Spy Base In Iraq

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Facts

• On Monday, Iran struck what it claimed to be a base for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, along with other locations allegedly hosting Iranian opposition groups, in Erbil — the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq. Baghdad recalled its ambassador to Tehran in response on Tuesday.¹
• Four civilians were killed and six injured, according to the Kurdish regional government, as the ballistic missile struck what Iran called Israel's “spy headquarters” for the region, located near the US Consulate.²
• Iraq's Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, however, has denied that Erbil hosts any Mossad-associated centers.³
• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed to have struck Islamic State (IS) bases in Syria in response to the IS-claimed twin blasts that killed nearly 100 at a ceremony commemorating former Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Kerman earlier this month.⁴
• Iran's missile strikes come amid widespread regional tensions following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Tel Aviv's subsequent Gaza bombardment, with a series of attacks also conducted by Israel and the US against Hamas, Iraqi militia leaders, and Yemen's Houthi rebels.⁵

Sources: ¹REUTERS, ²Associated Press, ³CNN, ⁴NDTV.com and ⁵Archive.

Narratives

• Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by New York Times. Iran is stirring up more trouble in an already explosive region. A more unstable Iraq is the last thing the Middle East needs at this point, making the strikes on Erbil an utterly reckless act. Tehran must respect the sovereignty of Iraq and allow peace to return to the region.
• Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by Irna. Contrary to claims from the West, Iran isn't the one inflaming tensions in the region. Monday's strikes — which abided by international laws — are a direct response to terrorist actions committed against Iran, which not only has a right but a duty to defend its civilians.

Predictions