The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, and head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Massoud Barzani, agreed today, Sunday, to form a fact-finding committee on the pretext of the presence of Israeli headquarters in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, hours after targeting Erbil (the center of the Kurdistan region) with 12 Iranian missiles.

Al-Sadr's office said in a statement that during the call, they discussed what happened in Erbil, noting that "the two sides agreed to form a fact-finding committee to find out the pretext of the presence of Israeli headquarters that were targeted."

Al-Sadr had previously announced that Iraq's "involvement" in conflicts was a dangerous precedent, while calling on the competent authorities to immediately raise a protest note to the United Nations and the Iranian ambassador.

pic.twitter.com/wNS6ZnA6jn

— Muqtada al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr (@Mu_AlSadr) March 13, 2022

Al-Sadr said in a tweet on Twitter, "Iraqi lands from its north to its south and from its east to its west should not be used as an arena for political, security and military conflicts," condemning all actions targeting neighboring countries from inside Iraq, and any external interference and any bombing of "full sovereign" Iraqi lands.

He added, "The competent authorities should immediately submit a protest note to the United Nations and the Iranian ambassador... while taking guarantees that it will not be repeated in the future."

The leader of the Sadrist movement continued, "Whoever claims that there are Israeli sites, they must be investigated as soon as possible," pointing out that "it should not be used as an excuse to destabilize" the security of Iraq and its people.

The targeting of Erbil is a condemned terrorist crime, and its suspicious timing, along with signs of political détente, aims to obstruct the constitutional process by forming a capable government.

We must stand firmly against attempts to plunge the country into chaos, and we must unite to support our security forces, consolidate the state's reference, and combat outlaw terrorists.

— Barham Salih (@BarhamSalih) March 13, 2022

Iraqi convictions

The officials condemned the targeting of Erbil, and the President of the Republic, Barham Salih, considered that the targeting of Erbil was a condemned terrorist crime and its timing was suspicious.

He added that one must stand firmly against "attempts to plunge" the country into chaos, stressing the need to unify the ranks to support the security forces and "consolidate the state's reference and combat outlaw terrorists."

The attack that targeted the dear city of Erbil and terrorized its residents is an infringement on the security of our people.

With the brother, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, we have followed the developments of the situation, and our security forces will investigate this attack and we will address any prejudice to the security of our cities and the safety of our citizens.

— Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Mustafa Al-Kadhim (@MAKadhimi) March 13, 2022

For his part, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said that the attack that targeted Erbil and terrorized its residents "is an infringement on the security of our people."

In his tweet on Twitter, Al-Kazemi said, "We followed up with the brother, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the developments of the situation, and our security forces will investigate this attack, and we will address any prejudice to the security of our cities and the safety of our citizens."

The attack on Erbil is an attack on the sovereignty of Iraq and the security of all its citizens, and it is a condemned act that requires a unified and firm national stance to deter and confront it.

— Muhammad Al-Halbousi (@AlHaLboosii) March 13, 2022

Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi considered the attack on Erbil an attack on Iraq's sovereignty.

"The attack is a condemned act that requires a unified and firm national stance to deter and confront it," he added.

We strongly condemn the cowardly and unwarranted missile attack that targeted the people, peace and stability of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region late last night.

My full statement: https://t.co/E3srDqrnXT

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) March 13, 2022

Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also condemned the attack, and said in a statement, "Erbil will not bow before cowards. I strongly condemn the terrorist attack that took place in several areas in Erbil."

For his part, the President of the region, Nechirvan Barzani, considered targeting Erbil as a "dangerous precedent and a violation" of the country's sovereignty.

Iran adopts

Hours after the incident, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for firing 12 ballistic missiles at Erbil in the early hours of this morning, and said that the attack targeted Israeli "strategic centers" in the city.

While the interior of the region announced that the missiles targeted the new building of the American consulate and the residential area adjacent to it, but it caused only material losses, and that one civilian was wounded.

In a statement today, Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw denied the existence of "Israeli headquarters."

He said, "For some time they have been talking about the existence of Israeli headquarters, but these allegations are baseless, and there are no Israeli headquarters in this area. Only the new American consulate building is located."

For his part, condemned the targeting of the head of the "Victory" coalition, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, describing it as "absolutely unjustified, whoever the target group."

The wreckage of a previous targeting of American interests near Erbil Airport (European)

international condemnation

A US State Department spokesman described the incident as a "outrageous attack", but said that no Americans were hurt and no government facilities in Erbil were damaged.

Previously, US forces stationed at the Erbil International Airport complex were subjected to missile and drone attacks, and US government officials blamed armed factions allied with Iran for the attacks, but no such attacks took place for several months.

For its part, the United Nations Mission in Iraq condemned the "heinous missile attacks on Erbil."

In Paris, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the attack on Erbil threatens efforts to end nuclear talks with Iran.

The ministry spokesman said that the strike, for which the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility, also threatens the stability of Iraq and the region as a whole, stressing that there is an urgent need to end the nuclear negotiations with Tehran.