Explosions Rock Erbil Near US Consulate Amid Iranian Retaliatory Strikes | WATCH
Massive explosions rocked Erbil as Iranian-backed forces launched a drone and missile blitz against the U.S. Consulate and International Airport. While U.S.-led coalition defenses successfully intercepted the incoming threats, the escalation marks a dangerous new chapter in "Operation Epic Fury," with pro-Iran militias threatening a total regional meltdown.
Explosions and intercepted aerial attacks were reported near the US consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, as part of Iran's broader retaliatory operations against US and Israeli targets. While social media and some reports initially claimed a direct Iranian attack on the consulate, official accounts from Kurdish security forces and international media indicate that US-led coalition defenses successfully intercepted drones and missiles, preventing direct impacts on the facility. No casualties were reported in Erbil from these incidents, though the events have heightened tensions in the region.
The disturbances in Erbil began early Saturday, with at least three powerful explosions heard near the US consulate, shaking nearby residences. AFP journalists and local witnesses described smoke billowing over the city, particularly around Erbil International Airport, which hosts a US military base as part of the anti-ISIS coalition. Video footage obtained by outlets like CBS News showed interceptor rockets launching from near the airport, downing incoming threats.
Kurdish security sources confirmed that anti-air defenses intercepted multiple drones and missiles targeting both the consulate and the airport base.
The US Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert for Iraq, including Erbil, advising American citizens to shelter in place amid the ongoing threats.
While Iran's Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for strikes on US bases across the Middle East, including in Iraq, it remains unclear if the Erbil incidents were launched directly from Iran or by its proxies within Iraq. Iraq's pro-Iran Kataeb Hezbollah militia has threatened attacks on US interests in the Kurdistan Region, warning that it would target bases if the area supported US or Israeli actions against Iran.
The Erbil events are part of Iran's response to joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury" by the US and "Roaring Lion" by Israel, which targeted nuclear, missile, and IRGC sites.
Similar strikes have hit US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan, and other Iraqi sites, with varying degrees of interception and damage.In Iraq, the US maintains troops in the Kurdish region for anti-ISIS efforts, with a planned withdrawal by September under a Baghdad-Washington agreement.
However, pro-Iran militias have escalated threats, and separate strikes on an Iraqi base killed two pro-Iran fighters, risking further involvement for Iraq.The Kurdistan Regional Government has reiterated that it will not allow its territory to serve as a base for attacks on neighboring countries.