Iranian Missile Strikes Elicit Iraqi Complaint to UN Security Council
In response to the recent Iranian missile attacks on Erbil, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council. The ministry, in two letters to the secretary-general and the council's presidency, strongly asserted that Iran's actions constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, security, and the well-being of its citizens.
According to a statement released by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's assault on Erbil, specifically targeting the private residence of Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee, resulted in casualties, including young children, and left several others wounded.
Iran, in a defiant response to the complaint, rejected the accusations, asserting that the missile strikes were carried out in self-defense and aligned with international law and the United Nations Charter. The Iranian statement emphasized that the operation aimed at targeting bases and facilities of "terrorist groups" in Syria and Iraq, responding to a recent ISIS-claimed terrorist attack in Kerman that resulted in the deaths of over 100 citizens.
Iran's UN statement concluded by reaffirming its commitment to respecting the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of both Iraq and Syria. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the missile assault, confirming its execution using ballistic missiles.
The Iraqi Government has labeled the attack as "aggression against sovereignty" and a breach of neighborliness principles, according to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Senior Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) politburo member and former Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari applauded Iraq's complaint, expressing hope that it might lead to practical measures to curtail Iranian and other interference, preventing the extension of anti-Iraqi influence in the region.
The situation remains tense as the international community awaits further developments and responses from the UN Security Council regarding the escalating tensions between Iran and Iraq.
