Continued Reactions to IRGC Missile Attacks on Erbil; Iraq Summons Its Ambassador

In response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missile attacks on Erbil, Iraq's Foreign Ministry summoned its ambassador from Tehran. Previously, Iraq had summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires to the Foreign Ministry. In this context, the French Foreign Ministry condemned the IRGC missile attacks, describing them as "undermining Iraq's national sovereignty." A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department also condemned the attacks hours after they occurred. The UN-affiliated body in Iraq condemned the IRGC's missile attack on Erbil, the center of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, on Tuesday morning. On Monday, the IRGC targeted several locations in Erbil with ballistic missiles, including what they described as a "spy base for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad" and "anti-Iran terrorist groups" in Syria. According to the Kurdistan Regional Security Council, these attacks resulted in the deaths of at least four civilians and injured six others. Early Tuesday local time, following confirmation of the IRGC's missile attacks on positions in Erbil, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, condemned the aggression and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. State Department spokesperson stated, "We oppose Iran's unjustified missile attacks that undermine Iraq's stability and support the efforts of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to meet the demands of their people." Additionally, the National Security Council spokesperson at the White House, Adrienne Watson, referred to claims regarding the targeting of U.S. positions by IRGC missiles, stating that the United States is tracking the IRGC's missile attacks on northern Iraq and northern Syria and that certainly none of the personnel or U.S. facilities were targeted in these attacks. News networks "Kurdistan 24" and "Rudaw" reported that the IRGC missile attacks on Monday evening, January 15, caused damage to property and homes and resulted in the deaths of civilians and children. The Kurdistan Region Security Organization stated in a statement that in these attacks, four civilian citizens were killed and six others were injured, including a businessman named "Peyman Dizayi" and several of his family members among the victims. This organization, in a statement, described the IRGC's announcements regarding the missile attacks as "baseless claims" and termed the repetition of these attacks as a violation of the sovereignty of the Kurdistan region and Iraq, calling on the Iraqi government and the international community not to remain silent regarding "this crime." Several Iraqi and international news agencies reported in the late hours of Monday, January 15, about a missile attack near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq. Moments later, the IRGC claimed responsibility for these attacks and also asserted that they targeted "terrorist positions" in Syria. Following these attacks, the IRGC issued three separate statements. In the first statement, they took responsibility for the attack on Erbil but claimed they targeted "spy bases and gathering places of terrorist groups" with ballistic missiles. The IRGC did not mention the names of these "spy" or "terrorist" groups in this statement, but a Telegram channel attributed to the IRGC published images of these attacks, stating that in the attack on Erbil, the "Al-Harir base of the Americans" was targeted. In their second statement, they announced that in separate missile attacks on Syria, they targeted "the gathering places of commanders and key elements related to the recent incidents in Kerman and Rask in Sistan and Baluchestan." However, international or regional media in Syria did not respond significantly to these alleged IRGC attacks, nor did they publish any images or footage of these attacks. The IRGC then, in its third statement after the missile bombardment around the U.S. consulate in Erbil, claimed that in these attacks, they destroyed the "Israeli Mossad intelligence base." Tensions in the region escalated; the IRGC claims to have bombarded "terrorist positions" in the area. The British Defense Minister expressed concern; Iran's 83% uranium enrichment has no justification. Tensions in the Gulf of Aden; the Houthis claimed responsibility for a recent attack on an American ship. Associated Press: Hamas uses weapons made in several countries, including Iran, against Israel. CENTCOM: Iran-backed Houthis attacked a ship belonging to the U.S. with missiles.