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WORLD NEWS Monday 14 March 2022
Iran claims missile barrage near U.S. consulate in Iraq

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA trigger more attacks.'
Associated Press The Biden administration
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran decided last July to end the
claimed responsibility Sun- U.S. combat mission in Iraq
day for a missile barrage by Dec. 31, and U.S. forc-
that struck near a sprawl- es gradually moved to an
ing U.S. consulate complex advisory role last year. The
in northern Iraq, saying it troops will still provide air
was retaliation for an Israeli support and other military
strike in Syria that killed two aid for Iraq's fight against
members of its Revolution- the Islamic State.
ary Guard earlier this week. The U.S. presence in Iraq has
Iraq's Foreign Ministry on long been a flash point for
Sunday summoned Iran's Tehran, but tensions spiked
ambassador to protest the after a January 2020 U.S.
attack, calling it a flagrant drone strike near the Bagh-
violation of the country's dad airport killed a top Ira-
sovereignty. nian general. In retaliation,
No injuries were reported Iran launched a barrage of
in Sunday's attack on the missiles at al-Asad airbase,
city of Irbil, which marked where U.S. troops were
a significant escalation be- stationed. More than 100
tween the U.S. and Iran. service members suffered
Hostility between the long- traumatic brain injuries in
time foes has often played the blasts.
out in Iraq, whose govern- More recently, Iranian prox-
ment is allied with both ies are believed respon-
countries. sible for an assassination
The attack drew harsh con- attempt late last year on
demnation from the Iraqi Iraq's Prime Minister Musta-
government, which called fa al-Kadhimi.
it a "violation of interna- A house damaged by an Iranian ballistic missile attack is seen in Irbil, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, And officials have said they
tional law and norms" and 2022. believe Iran was behind
demanded an explanation Associated Press the October drone attack
from the Iranian leader- at the military outpost in
ship. Iraq's Foreign Ministry have a range of about 300 glass and debris on their terial damage in the area. southern Syria where Amer-
spokesman Ahmad al- kilometers (186 miles). studio floor. They spoke on condition of ican troops are based. No
Sahhaf told The Associated The source claimed the The attack came several anonymity in line with regu- U.S. personnel were killed or
Press that the ministry sum- attack resulted in multiple days after Iran said it would lations. injured in the attack.
moned the Iranian ambas- casualties. There was no retaliate for an Israeli strike One of the Iraqi officials Al-Kadhimi tweeted: "The
sador, Iraj Masjedi, to de- immediate comment from near Damascus, Syria, that said the ballistic missiles aggression which targeted
liver the diplomatic protest. Israel on the allegations or killed two members of its were fired from Iran, with- the dear city of Irbil and
The United States said the the Iranian missile barrage. Revolutionary Guard. On out elaborating. He said the spread fear amongst its in-
missile strike emanated An Iraqi official in Baghdad Sunday, Iran's state-run Iranian-made Fateh-110 habitants is an attack on
from Iran and strongly con- initially said several missiles IRNA news agency quoted missiles likely were fired in the security of our people."
demned it. had hit the U.S. consulate Iraqi media acknowledg- retaliation for the two Rev- Masrour Barzani, prime
"The strikes were an outra- in Irbil, which is new and ing the attacks in Irbil, with- olutionary Guards killed in minister of the semi-auton-
geous violation of Iraq's sov- unoccupied, adding that out saying where they origi- Syria. omous Kurdish-controlled
ereignty. No U.S. facilities it had been the intended nated. U.S. forces stationed at Ir- region, condemned the at-
were damaged or person- target of the attack. Later, The missile barrage coincid- bil's airport compound tack. In a Facebook post,
nel injured, and we have Lawk Ghafari, the head of ed with regional tensions. have come under fire from he said Irbil "will not bow to
no indications the attack Kurdistan's foreign media Negotiations in Vienna over rocket and drone attacks the cowards who carried
was directed at the United office, said none of the mis- Tehran's tattered nuclear in the past, with U.S. offi- out the terrorist attack."q
States," State Department siles had struck the U.S. fa- deal hit a "pause" over Rus- cials blaming Iran-backed
spokesman Ned Price told cility but that residential ar- sian demands about sanc- groups.
reporters in Washington. eas around the compound tions targeting Moscow for The top U.S. commander ARUBA
Iran's powerful Revolution- had been hit. its war on Ukraine. Mean- for the Middle East has re-
ary Guard said on its web- Following a Cabinet meet- while, Iran suspended its peatedly warned about CLEAN
site that it attacked what ing, the Iraqi government secret Baghdad-brokered the increasing threats of at-
it described as an Israeli in Baghdad reiterated its talks aimed at defusing tacks from Iran and Iranian-
spy center in Irbil. It did not refusal to allow Iraq to be yearslong tensions with re- backed militias on troops
elaborate, but in a state- used to settle scores be- gional rival Saudi Arabia, and allies in Iraq and Syria.
ment said Israel had been tween other countries and after Saudi Arabia carried In an interview with The As-
on the offensive, citing the said it has requested an ex- out its largest known mass sociated Press in Decem-
recent strike that killed two planation from the Iranian execution in its modern his- ber, Marine Gen. Frank
members of the Revolution- leadership. tory with over three dozens McKenzie said that while
ary Guard. The semi-official Satellite broadcast chan- Shiites killed. U.S. forces in Iraq have
Tasnim news agency quot- nel Kurdistan24, which is Iraqi security officials said shifted to a non-combat
ed an unnamed source as located near the U.S. con- there were no casualties role, Iran and its proxies still
saying Iran fired 10 Fateh sulate, went on air from from the Irbil attack, which want all American troops IS MORE
missiles, including several their studio shortly after the they said occurred after to leave the country. As DUSHI
Fateh-110 missiles, which attack, showing shattered midnight and caused ma- a result, he said, that may