Iraqi Foreign Minister phones Iranian counterpart over drone attack on Kurdistan

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein telephoned Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday (17/8) to discuss a drone attack that targeted the private office of Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Hussein noted that while Tehran had justified previous attacks on the grounds of the presence of Iranian opposition factions in Kurdistan, the latest strike directly targeted the office of the Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister.

Hussein said this created a “dangerous precedent” that could further escalate tensions and threaten regional stability.

He therefore requested clarification on Iran’s official position regarding the incident, while stressing that such actions could have a negative impact on Iraq’s security and regional stability.

Meanwhile, Araghchi expressed surprise at the attack and said he had no information indicating that the strike originated from Iranian territory, according to the statement.

Araghchi reiterated that his country opposes any action that could trigger escalation or disrupt stability. He also pledged to issue an official statement to clarify the Iranian government’s position on the incident, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered the formation of an investigative committee to identify the origin and launch point of the attack.

Barzani said on his X account on Monday that the results of the investigation showed his private office “and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by an Iranian drone attack today.”

The Kurdistan region of Iraq has recently experienced an increase in drone and missile attacks amid the ongoing confrontation between the United States and Iran.