Iranian missiles, aimed at Israel, fall into Iraq

BAGHDAD — A series of aerial attacks by Iran on Israel last night saw remnants of missiles fall into Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. These strikes involved the use of drones and missiles, including Shahed drones, marking its first direct attack on Israel.

During these attacks, Iraqi airspace was used for the transit of Iranian drones and missiles, leading to significant explosions heard over Erbil and amplifying fears of broader regional instability.

Concurrently, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority had scheduled airport closures to civilian flights starting from midnight today. This precaution has been extended, and as of now, the civil aviation authority announced Sunday the complete reopening of the country’s airspace for all incoming, outgoing and transit flights, stating that all prior safety and security risks affecting civil aviation have been resolved.

The Shaqlawa district reported a power outage due to debris from what is likely the same type of Iranian drone. The Electric Distribution Department identified the cause as drone parts falling onto electrical infrastructure.

Azad Ahmad, head of power maintenance in Shaqlawa, told 964media, “The power disruption in the Sabiran neighborhood was caused by drone debris impacting the electrical lines. Our teams are working to restore power, expected to be completed by today.”

In addition to the drone sightings, remnants of a missile shell aimed at Israel by Iran fell in the garden of a resident in the village of Akoiani, in the Kurdistan Region’s Rawanduz district. Bakhtiar Akoiani, the garden’s owner, told 964media that the object was about six meters long and one meter wide, and landed about 200 meters from the village. Security forces have assessed the site and confirmed that there is no ongoing risk to the area.

A security source in Najaf province reported today that local forces discovered an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle that had fallen in the Sea of Najaf last night.

Small crowds gathered in front of the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad to celebrate recent Iranian strikes in the region in a stage-managed show of support by Iraqi groups aligned with Iran.

Adil Abdul Mahdi, former prime minister of Iraq, ominously alluded to escalating events with a post on Twitter. Abdul Mahdi described the “Al-Aqsa storm” that occurred yesterday, referring to the sight of projectiles illuminating the sky above Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as a “storm of the true promise.” He predicted that “the greatest storm is coming soon, God willing.”

National Security Advisor Qasim Al-Araji and Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq leader Sheikh Humam Hamoudi met today, with the readout from the meeting claiming the Iranian response to the “Zionist entity” has changed the “equations and rules of engagement” of confronting Israel.