Widespread condemnation of airstrikes
Reactions to the IRGC missile attack on Erbil
ERBIL, January 16 — Kurdish and federal Iraqi officials as well as international governments issued reactions on Tuesday to a series of missile strikes on Erbil overnight, condemning the attack, which was claimed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“I condemn the attack on Erbil. These issues require dialogue, not military actions,” stated Abdul Latif Rashid, President of the Republic of Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa’ Al-Sudani ordered the formation of an investigative committee, led by National Security Advisor Qasim Al-Araji, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the situation.
Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would file an official complaint with the UN Security Council, summoning the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires to register a formal protest to the attack.
Furthermore, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), issued a series of statements via posts to his official X (formerly Twitter) account condemning the strikes as “unjustifiable attacks.” The Prime Minister’s father and current head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, also issued a statement saying the region’s patience “has limits.”
Reaction from governments outside the region echoed local sentiments, with France’s foreign ministry denouncing the attack as unjustified, the Canadian Embassy to Iraq strongly condemning Iran’s actions, and both the German Embassy in Iraq and the Chinese Foreign Ministry calling for an end to the violence.
The U.S. State Department, while condemning the attacks, clarified that no U.S. bases were targeted in the assault.
The Kurdistan Regional Security Council reported a total of five fatalities and five as a result of the airstrikes.