US Consulate In Iraq Nearly Hit In Missile Strike, Iran Claims Responsibility

US Consulate In Iraq Nearly Hit In Missile Strike, Iran Claims Responsibility
Iranian missiles

By Gretchen Clayson

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired at least a dozen missiles towards the city of Erbil in Iraq early Sunday, striking an area near the U.S. consulate complex.

The attack was carried out in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria that killed two members of the Revolutionary Guard, according to The New York Times. In a statement regarding the missile strike, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack was aimed “at the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracies in Erbil,” linking the U.S. presence in Iraq with Israel.

U.S. troops remaining in Iraq provide aid to the Iraqi military as it fights Islamic State forces, according to Fox News. Though the focus of U.S. presence in Iraq has shifted to a support role, Iran still wants all American troops to leave the country. As a result, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said that “may trigger more attacks,” according to ABC News. (RELATED: President Biden Briefed After 5 Americans Injured In Iraq Rocket Attack)

The head of Kurdistan’s foreign media office, Lawk Ghafari, reported that no missiles had struck the U.S. consulate, but confirmed areas around the compound had been hit, according to ABC news.

“There is no damage or casualties at any U.S. Government facility. The incident is being investigated by the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government and we refer you to them for comment. We condemn this outrageous attack and display of violence,” an official for the U.S. State Department told Fox News.

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