In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Iran has carried out targeted strikes in Iraq and Syria. The attacks, reportedly conducted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), targeted a “spy headquarters” and a “gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The assault resulted in four fatalities and six injuries, as confirmed by Iraq’s Kurdistan security council.
Among the casualties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party revealed that prominent businessman Peshraw Dizayee was among the civilians killed in the attack.
Simultaneously, the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at targets in Syria, including the “gathering places of commanders and main elements related to recent terrorist operations, particularly the Islamic State group,” as reported by their Sepah News service. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported explosions in Aleppo and its countryside, with at least four missiles originating from the Mediterranean Sea.
This retaliatory strike on Syria follows recent attacks by terrorist groups in southern Iranian cities, Kerman and Rask, which claimed the lives of Iranian nationals, according to news agency reports.
The tensions in the region have been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, drawing in Iran-backed armed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Notably, this latest incident comes after the IRGC’s missile attacks in Arbil in March 2022, targeting a purported “strategic center” linked to Israel. Additionally, on December 25, Iran reported that a senior Guards commander, Razi Moussavi, was killed in an Israeli strike. The situation remains highly fluid, and international observers are closely monitoring developments in the region.
