Tehran condemns Erbil drone attack as false-flag operation
Iranian officials condemned a drone attack targeting the office of Iraqi Kurdistan Region prime minister, urging Kurdish authorities to remain vigilant against false-flag operations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X on Monday described the incident as reckless and urged Kurdish officials to remain vigilant against false-flag plots designed to sow discord between neighbors.
The warning came after two explosive-laden drones hit the personal office of Masrour Barzani and the residence of the head of the Kurdistan Region’s Security and Intelligence Agency in the Pirmam district of Erbil. No casualties were reported.
The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service claimed the drones had been launched from Iranian territory, an assertion that Iranian officials have firmly rejected.
“Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM Barzani’s office. Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbors.”
“We protected our Kurdish friends against Saddam and DAESH, and we’re thankful for the security they’ve provided on our border,” he stated.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also addressed the matter, calling the attack a “highly suspicious development.”
Baqaei said Iran condemns the reported strike on Barzani’s office in Erbil and believes it could be a false-flag operation intended to incriminate the Islamic Republic.
In a telephone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, Araghchi expressed surprise at the attack and stated that he had no information indicating the drones originated from Iranian territory.
The office of Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said he had “directed the formation of an investigative committee tasked with identifying the sources and launching points of the attack that targeted the office of” Barzani.
Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will travel to Iraq on Wednesday for talks with officials in Baghdad.
Ghalibaf will head “a high-level parliamentary delegation to discuss regional developments, strengthen strategic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad and explore joint solutions to contribute to stability and security in the Middle East,” Fars news agency said.