Iran Threatens US Amid Attacks on Iraqi Kurdish Areas

As the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ consecutive attacks on Iraqi Kurdish areas continue on Friday, October 8th, entering their seventh day in this round of retaliatory operations against Iranian Kurdish armed organizations, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces warned the United States that “if it takes action against Iranian drones, Iran will respond.”

Mohammad Baqeri, commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, stated that Iran considers any US reaction to Iranian drones as “hostile action” and reserves the right to respond to it.

Since the early morning of October 1st, while public protests continued in dozens of cities and regions across Iran, including Kurdistan Province, in opposition to the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in police custody, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched missile and drone attacks on the headquarters of Kurdish parties based in northern Iraq and continued them throughout the past week.

The Guard Corps’ attacks began after the city of Ushnovieh in West Azerbaijan Province had been outside the control of security forces for several hours the day before, and military personnel stationed in the city were placed in a defensive position.

The Guard Corps’ rocket attacks beginning on October 1st on areas in Iraqi Kurdistan territory not far from Ushnovieh also sent security forces stationed in this part of West Azerbaijan back to the streets, resulting in a relative suppression of the local Kurdish uprising, although protests in other Kurdish cities like Sanandaj continued until the evening of October 7th.

The Guard Corps’ most intense missile attack occurred on Thursday, October 6th, during which 13 people were killed and several others wounded. One of the dead is an Iranian Kurd who also holds American citizenship.

During Thursday’s attack, Mahmoud Rasoul, a Radio Farda correspondent in Iraqi Kurdistan, was also wounded while conducting an interview with a Kurdish organization official and was transferred to hospital.

Mahmoud Rasoul, who previously lost one eye in a ISIS attack in Iraqi Kurdistan, has recovered after his current hospital stay.

The Persian Service correspondent of Voice of America television, who was also conducting an interview at the site, was knocked to the ground in the October 6th attack on Iraqi soil, but continued his report while lying on the ground in front of the camera.

Iran’s state radio and television broadcast images and videos taken by other Guard Corps drones since the recent attack over the past two days, and a state media correspondent sent to the Guard Corps forces emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s attacks will continue until the “complete cleansing” of Kurdish territory from “armed Iranian separatists.”

The US government, while confirming the death of one of its citizens in recent Guard Corps attacks, announced that it had shot down one Iranian military drone.

Mohammad Baqeri, commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, said on October 8th: “American claims about destroying an Iranian combat drone proves that America is complicit with terrorists and separatists.”

Mr. Baqeri also told America that Iran “is only engaged in hard military confrontation with terrorists and has no action against Americans at this stage, but any potential American move will be answered by Iran’s armed forces, and we will respond to it appropriately in its place.”

The Guard Corps’ Ground Force also stated on October 8th, claiming that the “Komala” party was planning sabotage operations at one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding that “harsh and decisive confrontation with separatist groups” will be on the Guard Corps’ agenda to achieve the operation’s objectives.

The Islamic Republic names Iranian Kurdish organizations, most of which also have offices and bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, as “separatist.” They consider themselves anti-revolutionary and political opponents of Iran’s government.

The Guard Corps’ Ground Force also said in its Friday statement that previous warnings from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan to “remove” the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish organizations “have had no result.”

Iraq summoned Iran’s ambassador in recent days and requested an explanation regarding the Guard Corps’ recent attacks.

Meanwhile, the Tasnim News Agency, close to the Guard Corps, reported on Friday that “Major General Mohammad Riker, commander of Peshmerga forces in Kirkuk, was targeted in an unknown attack.”

According to this report, an attack on this senior Peshmerga military official’s house occurred in Sulaimani, which Tasnim attributed to a rocket or drone.

Middle East observers believe that while all actions by the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past 14 days have not extinguished angry Iranian public protests, creating a military crisis either against Iraqi Kurdistan or with the United States will provide the Islamic government with a good pretext to use more force to completely overcome the wave of popular protests.

Source: Radio Farda