/ world today news/ Iran carried out 24 strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria linked to the US and Israel. Tehran’s targets were places where terrorist attacks against the Islamic Republic were allegedly being prepared. And although this has led to complications in relations with Iraq, Tehran and Baghdad still have a common goal – reducing American influence in the region.
Iran launched missile strikes on Iraq’s Erbil. This was announced by representatives of the IRGC. As a result of the shelling, according to Baghdad, at least six people were wounded and four others were killed. One of the victims of the attack is the Kurdish businessman Peshrav Dizai, owner of “Falcon Group”.
In an official statement, the IRGC said the main target of the missile strikes was the “headquarters” of Israeli spies located in semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. It is emphasized that the reason for the shelling was the “atrocities of the Zionist regime”, which led to the assassination of the commanders of the Iranian Guard.
These are Tel Aviv airstrikes carried out in areas near Damascus. Syed Razi Mousavi, a senior adviser to the IRGC, was killed in the shelling. It was he who was responsible for coordinating Iran and Syria in the military sphere.
Moreover, in addition to the strikes northeast of Erbil (the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan), Tehran officials also announced the “launching of several ballistic missiles” into territory controlled by Damascus, where there are facilities of the Islamic State. In total, Iran carried out 24 strikes during the night.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Kerman. At that time, a funeral procession was held in the city to commemorate the death of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani. The explosion killed 103 people and injured 141 others. After the tragedy, a red flag of revenge was raised over the Jamkaran mosque in the holy Shiite city of Qom.
Iran’s missile attacks have caused a wide international outcry. Thus, the White House described Tehran’s actions as reckless and inaccurate. The US government is reportedly in contact with its Iraqi counterparts and working to assess the aftermath of the attack. It is noted that no US military personnel or facilities in Erbil were injured.
Meanwhile, Iraq has announced its intention to file a complaint with the UN Security Council. Baghdad strongly condemned the actions of Tehran and called the events “aggression against the sovereignty of the republic”. At the moment, the Prime Minister of the country, Mohammed al-Sudani, has already commissioned the formation of a commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shelling. In addition, the country’s foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to Iran for consultations.
According to experts, this event can be considered part of large-scale transformations in the Middle East. Despite the fact that the blow of the Islamic Republic fell on the territory of Iraq, what happened should not be considered an aggression against Baghdad. Iran was forced to take such decisive action by security threats arising from the presence of US bases on the neighboring country’s territory.
It is noteworthy that in Iraq itself, the stubborn desire of the local leadership to get rid of American troops is also gaining strength. Thus, according to the prime minister of the state, the government is already working to determine a date for the start of the work of a “bilateral committee to prepare for the final termination of the presence of international coalition forces.”
The expert community also notes that Iran’s missile attacks should be seen as an act of revenge for recent terrorist attacks. Analysts predict that the situation will not lead to significant changes in the current status quo, as Tehran and Baghdad have strong cultural and religious ties.
“Iran’s missile attacks on Erbil are explained by Tehran’s desire to avenge the recent terrorist attack in Kerman. Therefore, it was decided to exclusively use the forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the shelling. If you carry out an act of revenge with the wrong hands, the whole ideological message will be lost,” said Kirill Semyonov, an expert at the Russian Council on International Affairs and an Orientalist.
“It is known that ballistic missiles were used in the attack. It is most likely the “Fatah-110″ model. They are what Iran uses when it needs to demonstrate military power. However, I do not rule out that in this case modified versions were used, differing from the original in a number of characteristics,” he notes.
“I don’t think what happened will have a strong impact on the regional situation. Tehran’s strikes have not hit US or Israeli assets. Only those buildings Iran says were used in Western operations were targeted. Thus, neither Washington nor Tel Aviv have a reason to start an escalation,” the source said.
“The most important consequence of the shelling is the death of businessman Peshrav Dizai. He was a respected man who donated huge sums for the development of Erbil. The Kurds can take this loss “personally”, which will lead to an increase in anti-Iranian sentiments among the representatives of this ethnic group,” emphasizes the political scientist.
“No significant deterioration in Tehran’s dialogue with Baghdad is expected. Pro-Iranian positions are extremely strong in Iraq, which are almost impossible to weaken for religious and cultural reasons. Furthermore, IRGC strikes do not pose a direct threat to the republic. In general, the relations between the two countries are very complicated,” emphasizes the orientalist.
According to him, Iraq is forced to be torn between Iran and the US. “Baghdad must make colossal concessions to Washington. In particular, this applies to the agreement to deploy American military bases in the country. At the same time, there is also a strong influence of the Shiites, who have traditionally maintained close contacts with Tehran,” he says.
“Of course, the current status quo poses many challenges to the security of the Islamic Republic. In some ways, the situation resembles the situation in Russia and Ukraine, but thanks to the launch of the CSTO, Moscow managed to avoid the development of the worst-case scenario. However, this comparison cannot be considered completely correct, since the tangle of contradictions in the Middle East is much more complicated,” Semyonov clarifies.
Iran often strikes targets that may pose a threat to Tehran’s security, recalls Semyon Baghdasarov, director of the Center for Middle East and Central Asia Studies. “In the case of Iraq, targets were targeted where, according to the IRGC, major terrorist attacks against the Islamic Republic were planned. We are also talking about the explosion in Kerman that happened at the beginning of January,” he explained.
“I want to point out that Iran struck the territory of Kurdistan. This region has been accused of collaborating with the CIA and Mossad. Tehran, not without reason, believes that the activities of the people of this area pose a huge threat to the entire country. Often it is they who provoke separatist sentiments in the borderlands of the Islamic Republic,” he notes.
“Therefore, Iran’s actions will not affect relations with Baghdad. The prime minister of Iraq has an extremely positive attitude towards Tehran, but his country cannot ignore the opinion of Washington. So he needs to make a fuss about what happened. However, the statements from the first days will not lead to serious consequences,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“Furthermore, the US and Israel currently have no reason to escalate the escalation with Iran either.” The strikes did not affect facilities belonging to Western countries. Therefore, the current status quo in the Middle East will continue after these attacks. But the tension reigning in the region recently cannot help but worry us,” summarizes Bagdasarov.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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