Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan: The Islamic Republic Attacks Civilians

Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on Tuesday, January 16, accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of killing innocent civilians in attacks on the capital of this autonomous region. In an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Barzani dismissed Iran's claims of attacking an Israeli espionage headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan as baseless and emphasized that now is not the right time for American forces to leave Iraq. He told reporters, "It is surprising that we are not a party to this conflict. We do not understand why Iran is taking revenge on the civilians of Kurdistan, especially in Erbil." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously stated that it attacked an Israeli espionage center in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Security Council of the Kurdistan Regional Government also announced that at least four civilians were killed and six others injured in the Iranian missile attacks. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's "aggression" against Erbil in a statement and summoned its ambassador from Tehran for discussions. In response to a question about recent Iraqi requests for the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international coalition from the country, Barzani said, "The U.S. is present in this country at the invitation of the Iraqi government, and their mission is to fight terrorism. We do not think terrorism has ended, and last night's events indicate that regional stability is still severely at risk." The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 troops in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces in efforts to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. ISIS captured large parts of both Iraq and Syria in 2014 but was ultimately defeated by a multinational coalition's offensive. The reactions to the U.S. attack on the positions of Iran's proxies in Iraq continue; reports indicate that six Iranian proxy fighters were killed in airstrikes along the Syria-Iraq border. President Joe Biden stated that the recent U.S. attacks in Iraq aimed at deterring the Islamic Republic. An American senator called for retaliatory strikes in Iran, suggesting to blow up IRGC bases. Developments follow the killing of a senior IRGC member in Syria, with Israel preparing for a retaliatory attack by the Islamic Republic. CENTCOM reported an attack by the U.S. military on the positions of the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia in Iraq.