Iraq’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on Sunday to protest against the missile attack that occurred in the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.
According to INA, Iraq expects "frank and clear clarifications from the Iranian side" regarding the incident. On Sunday, the Ministerial Council for National Security held an extraordinary meeting headed by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to discuss the aftermath of the attack.
"The missile attack that was launched from Iranian territory and targeted the Iraqi city of Erbil is an attack on the good-neighbourly between Iraq and Iran, and the historical relationship that binds the peoples of the two neighboring countries, as well as a violation of international laws and norms", the council said in a statement, cited by the news agency.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the ballistic missile attack in Erbil, saying that the target of the attack was a "strategic centre of Israel".
The Iraqi Health Ministry said that the attack did not result in any casualties. According to media reports, 8 to 12 missiles were fired from Iranian territory into Erbil, landing in the vicinity of the local US Consulate.
According to the US State Department, no American facilities were damaged as a result of the strike and Washington had "no indications the attack was directed at the United States". State Department spokesman Ned Price demanded that Iran stop its attacks and pledged Washington's help for regional partners to defend themselves.
The French Foreign Ministry on Sunday warned that the Erbil attack could undermine ongoing efforts to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. Additionally, France said that the incident threatened the stability in Iraq and the entire region.
Germany also condemned the attack, with Berlin saying that it would not let a "regional escalation" hinder the progress made in the nuclear talks in Vienna. Germany’s Foreign Office also said that "those responsible must be brought to justice".
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