Iran Foreign Ministry: We Have No Link To Erbil Attack

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has distanced itself from claims that it is linked to a rocket attack on the airport in the Iraqi city of Erbil on 15 February.

• Charles Lister at the Middle East Institute has tweeted: "Update: the projectiles used were 107mm rockets are were fired much closer to Erbil (7-10km). "Saraya Alwiya al-Dam" claimed responsibility -- that's a faction with known links to Iran's Asaib Ahl al-Haq & Kataib Hezbollah."
• The rockets landed in and around the airbase used by Coalition forces that are based at the airport in Erbil in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq, Around 14 rockets hit the base, with one civilian contractor killed, and several other individuals injured including a US armed service member.
• The attack comes as the first notable foreign policy challenge for new US President Joe Biden. While Iran has claimed it had no involvement in the attack, US foreign policy hawks may not believe Tehran's claims. Under the Trump administration the death of any US civilian in Iraq would result in an escalation in troop numbers.
• However, the initial expectations around the Biden administration is that it may take a more dovish stance re: Iran in an effort to encourage the country to step back on its path to weapons-grade uranium.