Iran has recently executed missile strikes in Iraq and Syria. In Iraq, the main target was Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, where Iran claims to have attacked a location used by Israeli intelligence and anti-Iranian groups. The attack resulted in the deaths of four civilians, including prominent businessman Peshraw Dizayee. The United States, with a consulate near the site, condemned the strikes as hazardous and destabilizing for Iraq.
In Syria, Iran targeted areas associated with the Islamic State (IS), citing retaliation for attacks by terrorist groups that had killed Iranians in Kerman and Rask. A suicide bombing in Kerman during a memorial for General Qasem Soleimani claimed around 90 lives, with IS claiming responsibility. This incident occurred near Soleimani's burial site and resulted in over 100 deaths and injuries on the fourth anniversary of his death.
Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, attributed the Kerman attack to Israel and warned of severe consequences. While experts and a US official considered it a possible terrorist attack, similar to past ISIS actions, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military force, conducted the missile strikes. They claimed the Erbil strike targeted espionage and attack planning headquarters. The IRGC also referenced a December incident in Rask, Iran, where an attack on a police station resulted in the deaths of several officers.
Tensions in the region are escalating, with Iran presenting its actions as responses to perceived threats and attacks. However, concerns about broader conflicts in the Middle East have risen, compounded by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the involvement of Iran-backed groups in various countries.