Mar 13, 2022 - World

Iran claims missile barrage near empty U.S. Consulate

Axios

A person — Workers clean the damaged office of Kurdistan 24 TV in Erbil, Iraq, today after missile attacks. Photo: Azad Lashkari/Reuters

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for a dozen ballistic missiles that struck Iraq's northern Kurdish regional capital of Erbil in the early hours of Sunday, Iran's state media reported, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The missile attack comes as talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal face the prospect of collapse. A last-minute Russian demand forced world powers to pause negotiations for an undetermined time, despite having a largely completed text.

The missiles, which targeted a U.S. Consulate's building that is new and unoccupied, caused only material damage and one civilian was injured, the Kurdish Interior Ministry said. An Iraqi security official told Reuters that the missiles were made in Iran.

The Iranian statement said the attack was against Israeli "strategic centers" in Erbil.

A State Department spokesperson tells Axios: "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. ... We condemn this outrageous attack and display of violence."

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Iran claims missile barrage near empty U.S. Consulate

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