Iran launches missile strikes against targets in Syria and northern Iraq

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Iran fired several ballistic missiles at locations in Syria and northern Iraq, which included a facility claimed by Iran to be operated by the Israeli intelligence agency.

The recent military action carried out by the high-ranking Revolutionary Guards was aimed at an alleged "spy hub" in the city of Erbil in Iraq. This move was taken in retaliation to the attacks carried out by Israel, which resulted in the death of an Iranian commander in Syria, as well as several members of armed groups backed by Tehran in the region.

The attack that occurred on Monday evening has increased concerns that the Middle East may be getting closer to a larger regional conflict. This is because tensions have been escalating ever since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas back in October.

The spokesperson for the US state department, Matthew Miller, expressed strong disapproval of the attacks in Erbil, the capital city of Iraq's self-governing Kurdistan area. He stated that the missile strikes carried out by Iran are not only careless but also detrimental to Iraq's stability. Furthermore, the US supports the Joint efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi authorities in fulfilling the wishes of the Iraqi people.

The foreign ministry of Iraq strongly criticized Iran's aggressive behavior and declared its intention to pursue legal action, such as submitting a complaint to the United Nations Security Council. Iraqi state media reported that Baghdad has called back its ambassador to Tehran following the attack and has summoned Iran's diplomat in charge.

Masrour Barzani, who serves as Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan, expressed his disapproval of the recent strikes that the Kurdish government reported had targeted multiple civilian regions in Erbil. The attack resulted in the deaths of four individuals, as well as six others sustaining injuries. Barzani made these comments during his appearance at the World Economic Forum held in Davos.

He informed the media that they are not involved in the current Israel-Hamas conflict, which is rapidly intensifying and has resulted in the participation of allies from both parties. He further stated that they are unaware of the reason behind Iran's retaliation towards Kurdish civilians, particularly in Erbil.

On Tuesday, the counter-terrorism service of Iraqi Kurdistan reported that three drones carrying weapons were destroyed near Erbil airport. The airport is being used by US and other international forces who are stationed there. There is also a military base in the airport complex which includes coalition forces that are fighting against the remaining members of terror organization ISIS.

The Kurdistan authorities strongly condemned the recent attack and deemed it as a clear infringement of Kurdistan and Iraq's sovereignty. They further urged the international community and the Baghdad government to take action against this criminal act and not remain inactive.

According to Iranian state news agencies, the guards declared that they carried out missile attacks in Syria against Isis. This action was taken in retaliation for the suicide bombing that occurred in southern Iran this month. This bombing caused the death of nearly 100 people and was claimed by Isis.

The war between Israel and Hamas has caused a surge in conflicts throughout the area. Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon backed by Iran, has engaged in daily exchanges of fire with Israel across their shared border. Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea, and militants in Iraq and Syria, supported by Iran, have launched missiles and drones targeting United States forces.

For several months now, Iran has made it clear that it is not interested in being directly involved in a bigger conflict that would likely cause the country to get involved in a war with either the United States or Israel. However, it has been providing support to its proxies within the group known as the Axis of Resistance. They have been launching attacks in retaliation for Israel's aggressive actions in Gaza against Hamas, which Iran also supports.

Until now, the conflicts involving militant groups supported by Iran have been limited to their respective regions.

In the past few weeks, concerns about a potential large-scale battle have grown as Israel is believed to have launched attacks that resulted in the death of a high-ranking officer of the guards in Syria, as well as seven members of Hamas, including one of their top leaders, in Beirut. In addition, Israel has been increasingly vocal and aggressive in their strikes against Hizbollah in southern Lebanon.

The statement from the guards declared that they will carry on with their attacks until they have fully repaid the sacrifice made by all the martyrs who have shed their blood.

Earlier in the month, the United States carried out an attack in Baghdad which resulted in the death of a high-ranking member of an Iraqi militia. This action was taken in response to over 120 instances of rocket and drone attacks launched by Iraqi factions that were supported by Iran against US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria.

US military carried out attacks on the Houthis in Yemen last week to prevent them from attacking ships in the Red Sea who are associated with Iran. Being linked with Iran, the Houthis obstructed maritime trade in the significant waterway by carrying out approximately 30 attacks against commercial ships from mid-November.

Earlier this month, there were two suicide bombings in a cemetery in Kerman, Iran. Iran made a promise to seek revenge for this incident. At first, the leaders of the guards believed that Israel was the one responsible for these attacks; however, they did not have any proof to back it up. Later on, it was revealed that Isis had claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Troops from Iran are currently situated in the nation of Syria. They have provided assistance to President Bashar al-Assad during the ongoing civil conflict that emerged in 2011.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas occurred on October 7th following an assault on southern Israel by the Palestinian group. According to the Israeli authorities, the attack resulted in the death of a minimum of 1,200 individuals, while 240 others were held captive.

The Israeli government has launched a severe attack on Hamas in Gaza, using both air and land forces. This has resulted in the deaths of over 24,000 individuals, as reported by health officials in Palestine. This action has caused anger and frustration throughout the Arab and Muslim communities.