As many as 12 missiles originating from Iran struck an Iraqi city late Saturday evening, with some hitting close to the new U.S. Consulate compound in the area, officials said overnight.
There were no injuries reported from U.S. or foreign officials as a result of the blast, which hit the city of Erbil, though authorities have offered differing accounts of what damage was actually caused. Originally, representatives from Baghdad said the U.S. Consulate was the target of the attack and had been hit by several missiles. That was disputed by the U.S. government, which said there was no damage to any American facility and was still questioning the motive. The U.S. said it was also unsure what type of missiles were fired.
IRAN DEAL TALKS ON ‘PAUSE’ AFTER RUSSIA DEMANDS RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS
The building in question had been under construction and was not occupied at the time of the attack, which occurred just after midnight. The U.S. has a consulate inside Erbil, which serves as the capital of the Kurdish region of Iraq. The new facility, which is still in the works, is located about eight miles from the center of the city.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson condemned what they called an “outrageous attack against Iraqi sovereignty and display of violence” in a statement regarding the attack.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The strike comes days after an Israeli airstrike killed two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard near Damascus, Syria. Iran vowed to take revenge while condemning the attack this week.
It also comes one day after talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal paused — after Russia upended negotiations with a sudden demand for a decrease in sanctions related to its military invasion in Ukraine. Russia, which is serving as a negotiator on behalf of Iran, brought talks to a standstill this week by tying the outcome of the talks to sanctions Moscow is facing in response to it’s efforts to overtake Ukraine.
The U.S. still has forces in Iraq, all of whom have pivoted to non-combative advisory roles. They do, however, still provide air support and other military aid to Iraq in the country’s fight against ISIS militants. Iran and the militias they back in the region want U.S. troops out as a result. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, told the Associated Press in December that he expected more attacks because of this.
