The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has executed missile strikes on selected targets in Iraq and Syria. These attacks, aimed at what Iran labels as “terrorist” locations, have further escalated tensions in the Middle East region.
The IRGC’s operations focused on dismantling sites associated with anti-Iranian groups. Notable among these were a so-called “spy headquarters” and a congregation of terrorist groups in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq.
Iran claims that these strikes were in retaliation to recent terrorist activities, including a suicide bombing near the tomb of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran. The IRGC framed its actions as a response to the crimes of terrorist groups that led to the death of Iranian citizens in Kerman and Rask.
International Response and Escalating Violence
The United States has strongly condemned Iran’s missile strikes. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed condolences to the families of the victims and emphasized the detrimental impact of such actions on Iraq’s stability. This recent wave of violence also includes a suicide bombing near General Soleimani’s tomb, claimed by the Islamic State group, causing around 90 casualties.
In another tragic event, 11 Iranian police officers were killed in an attack on a police station in Rask, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. This attack was claimed by Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), a group that Iran has designated as a “terrorist” organization since its formation in 2012.
Adding complexity to the regional dynamics, the IRGC also claimed responsibility for striking what it alleged to be an Israeli target in Iraq. They asserted that Mossad’s spy headquarters in the Kurdistan region was destroyed, claiming it was central to espionage and terrorist planning in the area.
 launches missile attacks on terrorist targets in Iraq and Syria, and Mossad's spy headquarters in the Kurdistan region escalates conflicts in the Middle East.){kind=link}