Iraq FM: Iran Has Provided No Tangible Evidence to Justify Irbil Strike

Iran said targeted site was an Israeli base

In an interview Tuesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that Iraq has been unable to verify Iranian claims about an Israeli base in Irbil, and that Iran has yet to provide “tangible” evidence to justify the March missile strike.

On March 13, Iran fired 12 ballistic missiles in an area of Irbil, Kurdistan, claiming it was the center of a “Zionist conspiracy.” Iranian officials added that this was tied to attempted sabotage attacks inside Iranian territory.

This issue remains important because this week, Iran launched artillery fire at Irbil on claims of terrorists operating out of the city. Details of what is being claimed in this new strike are still emerging, though it appears related to Iran reportedly arresting saboteurs on the Iran-Iraq border.

Iraq has trouble with cross-border attacks, with Turkey in the midst of an offensive in Iraqi Kurdistan, and Iraq clearly looking to avoid Iran striking that area as well.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.