Iranian Rockets Hit Kurdish Headquarters in Iraq

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Facts

  • Rockets fired on Monday reportedly killed one and injured 10 when Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the headquarters of an Iranian Kurdish party in the Iraqi city of Koye, near Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
  • According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, the IRGC targeted “terrorist groups” with missiles and drones. Kurdish sources said the IRGC had targeted the Komala Party's base in Sulaimaniya with six drones and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan's base in Koye with four missiles.
  • Iranian Kurdish militant opposition bases in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq have been attacked by the IRGC ever since the death of Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 and the subsequent nationwide protests. Iran accuses Kurdish militants in northern Iraq of fueling the unrest in Iran.
  • Multiple Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have kept bases near the Iran-Iraq border. These groups assert that their weapons are for self-defense and to help defend the Iraqi border.
  • Prior to the attack, the IRGC had frequently cautioned officials in northern Iraq and the country's central government that "secessionist" groups based in the region must exit or be disarmed. So far, "no actionable efforts have been done," according to Iranian officials.
  • IRGC's attack on Erbil on Monday was denounced by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which called it a "violation of Iraq's sovereignty." The UN mission also said the only way forward is to have dialogue between Iraq and Iran over mutual security concerns.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, New York Times, and Shafaq.

Narratives

  • Pro-Iran, as provided by The New Arab. Rioters linked to foreign enemies are causing the ongoing unrest in Iran. Armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups operating in neighboring Iraq have infiltrated Kurdish areas of Iran to sow insecurity and catalyze unrest. To meet this threat, the IRGC will continue to strike the main bases of these groups to protect Tehran's national security.
  • Anti-Iran, as provided by The Arab Weekly. Iran is threatening the peace and stability of the region by continuously targeting the positions of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The Iraqi government rightly condemns this crime, which is a direct threat the Baghdad's security and sovereignty.