Iran behind attack near U.S. Consulate in Iraq

Iran claimed responsibility Sunday for a missile barrage that struck near a U.S. Consulate complex in northern Iraq. The attack in the city of Irbil did not injure anyone or destroy any U.S. facilities, said State Department spokesman Ned Price. Satellite broadcast channel Kurdistan24, which is located near the U.S. Consulate, showed shattered glass and debris on its studio floor. Lawk Ghafari, head of Kurdistan’s foreign media office, said the missiles also hit residential areas.

Why the attack? Iran said it was targeting an Israeli spy center in Irbil in retaliation for an earlier Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard. Price said the United States had no indication it was the target of the attack. The Iraqi government in Baghdad said its country should not be used to settle scores between other nations, and it has requested an explanation from the Iranian leadership.

Dig deeper: Read Kent Covington’s report in The Sift on a rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.