In a series of violent incidents, Iran's foreign minister confirmed that Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles at targets in both Iraq and Syria. The strikes occurred near the under-construction U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq, causing condemnation from both the U.S. and Iraq. The attacks are believed to be linked to the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Iran's Hamas allies. Additionally, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea shipping lanes in response to the conflict.

Later on Tuesday, three armed drones were shot down over Erbil's airport. The airport is home to U.S. forces as part of an international coalition fighting against ISIS in the region. The extent of the damage caused by the drones is currently unknown. The drone strikes came just hours after Iran launched at least 11 missiles, targeting what they claimed was an Israeli intelligence headquarters in Erbil. The attack resulted in the deaths of four civilians. The Iraqi government has condemned the attack and ordered an investigation, while also summoning Iran's top diplomat in Baghdad for discussions.

The State Department issued a statement strongly condemning Iran's attacks in Erbil, referring to the missile strikes as reckless and destabilizing to Iraq. Iran claimed that the attacks were in retaliation for recent atrocities committed by "anti-Iran groups" in the region, including ISIS. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards military unit stated that they destroyed one of Mossad's espionage headquarters in Iraq's Kurdistan region with ballistic missiles. They cited the killing of Guards commanders and members of the Axis of Resistance, a term used by Iran to refer to the anti-Israel groups it supports, as their justification for the strikes.

This is not the first time that the Iranian Guards have targeted Erbil. In 2022, they launched a missile attack on the home of another Kurdish businessman using the same justification. Since Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza began, Iran's proxies in the region have intensified their attacks on U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq and Syria, particularly around Erbil.

The strikes in Erbil have caused significant casualties, including the death of prominent Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayi and his 1-year-old daughter. His wife and two sons were also seriously injured in the attack. The security council of the Kurdish regional government confirmed that four civilians were killed and six injured in the strikes.

Iran has claimed responsibility for the missile strikes, stating that they targeted a spy headquarters and anti-Iranian terrorist groups. They also claimed to have destroyed terrorist operations and Islamic State targets in Syria. The U.S. tracked the missiles and confirmed that no U.S. facilities were struck or damaged in the attacks. However, they described the strikes as reckless and imprecise.

These attacks come at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with fears of a wider spillover of the ongoing war in Gaza. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have been launching near-daily drone attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, in retaliation for Washington's support of Israel and in an attempt to force U.S. troops to leave the region. The situation remains volatile, with concerns about further escalation and the potential for more civilian casualties.