TEHRAN (Iran News) – In reaction to the news about last night’s incident in Erbil and some suspicious rumors in this regard, Saeed Khatibzadeh said, “While these rumors are strongly rejected, the dubious attempt to attribute it to Iran is also strongly condemned.”
“Iran considers the stability and security of Iraq a key issue for the region and its neighbors, and rejects any action that disturbs the peace and order in this country,” he added.
Describing such actions as suspicious, the Foreign Ministry spokesman called on the Iraqi government to issue the necessary instructions to follow up and deal with the perpetrators.
A rocket attack in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil on Monday killed a civilian contractor with the American-led military coalition and wounded six others, including a US service member, said a US-led coalition spokesman.
Several other rockets landed in residential areas of the city, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including one close to the Chinese Consulate.
A newly-established militant group that calls itself “Saraya Awliya al-Dam” has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, Press TV reported.
The group claimed that it fired 24 rockets from an area 7 kilometers away from the US-occupied al-Tahrir military base, all of which hit their targets as the coalition air defenses failed to intercept the rockets.
Previously, Saeed Khatibzadeh, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Monday welcomed Qatar for its efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal though he made it clear that Washington’s commitment to the JCPOA requires no mediation.
“Qatar is one of Iran’s regional friends and partners. There have been close consultations between Iran and Qatar at different levels,” he remarked. The spokesman criticized the Biden administration for pursuing Donald Trump’s policy towards Iran, noting, “The situation is not any different from before January 20, as Washington has maintained the same ‘maximum pressure and crimes’ against the Iranian nation.”
- source : Mehr
