Middle East & Africa | Message by missile

With America distracted, Iran hits Iraq’s Kurds

Iran fires 12 missiles at the safest and most pro-Western bit of Iraq

ERBIL, THE capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, has long been the country’s safest haven—and its friendliest to the West. But just after midnight on March 13th Iran hammered the city with 12 cruise missiles. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s most punchy force, claimed responsibility. No one was reported to have been killed, but several buildings (pictured) were clobbered. Iraq’s government in Baghdad was shaken. The Kurds’ Western friends were shocked.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Message by missile”

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From the March 19th 2022 edition

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