News
While the security forces indicated that they had spotted some intruders, stressing that they deal with the demonstrators responsibly, without carrying weapons or resorting to any violent means.
Some rioters used Molotov cocktails, hunting rifles and ammunition against the security forces, which led to the injury of 19 officers instructed to protect protesters. Nine civilians were injured in the riots as well.
A message was sent to the organizers of the protests, calling on them to hand over "the rioters immediately, and to maintain peaceful movements and to prevent chaos."
KurdSat reporter said that minor clashes occurred in Baghdad, resulting in 17 injuries.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Baghdad to commemorate the third anniversary of the significant and unprecedented uprising against the government, corruption and mismanagement of public services in a country experiencing complete political paralysis.
The protesters, mostly young people, gathered in the symbolic Tahrir Square and cried against politicians and militias, raising Iraqi flags and pictures of the people killed in the 2019 protests.
They also gathered at the entrance to the Jumhuriya Bridge, which the security forces closed with three concrete blocks to prevent access to the Green Zone. The Zone is home to Iraq's Parliament, the council of ministers and foreign diplomatic missions.
In October 2019, protests erupted across the country, especially in the poor governorates of the south. It lasted for several months, during which hundreds of thousands of demonstrators camped in Tahrir Square, denouncing the spread of unemployment, the collapse of infrastructure, lack of democracy, and corruption.
Official figures put the number of the dead at around 500 people, while local sources talk of a thousand. The protest weakened after over 500 people were killed and close to 8 thousand people injured also, Covid quarantine measures played a role.
Three years after the protests, not much has changed in Iraq. Stalemate still characterizes the political situation, and the atmosphere is tense.
The two primary political opponents (Muqtada al-Sadr and the Coordination Framework) are facing each other over the appointment of a new prime minister and the possibility of early legislative elections.
On the one hand, the influential Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr demands an immediate dissolution of parliament, while the pro-Iran Coordination Framework wants to form a government.
“The opposition parties were aware of the threats,” the source added.
The Interior Ministry source explained that the Kurdistan Region has never agreed to the September 28 attacks and the violation of its sovereignty and strongly condemns them.
The Kurdistan region has maintained a policy of neutrality towards its neighbors in their fights against their opposition groups.
"As a result of this unjust attack and the unjustified bombing of the Islamic Republic of Iran, several civilians were martyred, and others were injured. Kurdistan Region Parliament said in a statement today that several civilian areas, schools, and homes were targeted.
"We strongly condemn these attacks on behalf of the Kurdistan Parliament and believe that violence, missile attacks, and bombings cannot be resorted to under any pretext," the Parliament added.
"The Kurdistan Region Parliament insists on its unchanging position that it wants friendly relations based on respect, common interests, sovereignty and the principles of good neighborliness with its neighbors in accordance with international law and customs. We believe that military solutions and attacks will not solve the problems, but will complicate them," the Parliament explained in the statement.
The Parliament asks the international community to stand up to the aggression and put an end to such attacks repeating and saying, "the Kurdistan Parliament calls on the federal government and the international community to put a stop to these attacks and violations of the territory and sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
In concluding the statement, the Parliament extended its condolences to the victims and their families.
On Wednesday, in an unprecedented attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corpus (IRGC) bombed several areas of the Kurdistan Region with missiles and kamikaze drones. The attack targeted homes and bases of Iranian opposition groups. The attacks were concentrated on the KDPI, Komala, and Kurdistan Freedom Party, the three well-known Iranian opposition groups that maintain their bases in the Kurdistan region.a
Another injured protester died in Piranshahr city, Hangaw Human Rights Organization reported. The death toll has risen to 20, bringing the total to 76 deaths since the protests began.
According to Hangaw, 70 women have been arrested in eastern cities since Monday, and the identities of 52 of them have been revealed.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the death of Zhina Amini saddened everyone, and no one should be afraid to express their views. Raisi said a medical report on Zhina's death would be released in the coming days.
Mahsa Amini or Zhina Amini's death has caused domestic and international outrage. Amini dead in the custody of Iranian moral police, even though the precise whereabouts of her death remain a mystery.
Before the announcement, a US official revealed that the United States intends to announce sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports.
The official confirmed a Bloomberg News report that said the sanctions would focus on entities that facilitate the oil trade and would be part of a broader plan to tighten sanctions on Tehran in the coming weeks.
Last September, a bipartisan US House of Representatives introduced legislation that would toughen US sanctions against Tehran.
The Iran Sanctions Consolidation Act (SISA) legislation will create a necessary deterrent by targeting the country's energy sector and making it more challenging to finance its proxy groups or ballistic missile development programs.
The Nuclear Deal Is At Stake
The new sanctions come while the Biden administration is still discussing the final details of a new nuclear deal with Iran.
The European Union submitted on August 8, 2022, after long and complex rounds of negotiations that started last April (2021) in Vienna and lasted for 16 months, a final text to overcome the impasse in reviving the Iran deal.
The European coordinator of the nuclear talks, Joseph Borrell, received the first Iranian response in mid-August, followed by the American response to the Iranian remarks and demands. Later, Tehran's reaction came and put the talks in the wind.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that he wouldn't oppose another round of negotiations if the US deems it so and that Washington has reached out to Iranian officials at the US for direct talks between the two to resolve matters between them quicker.
Patel said he could not further comment on the case due to privacy considerations.
A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official confirmed that the US citizen is Omar Mahmoudzadeh, Al-Monitor reported.
The US Consulate in the Kurdistan region said the US State Department's travel guidelines for Iraq are still at Level 4, which asks US citizens not to travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnappings, and armed conflict.
The US consulate in Erbil had asked Americans to stay away from targeted areas such as Prde, Koya, Zrgwezala and disputed territories.
On September 28, Iran began an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region, resulting in over ten deaths and tens of injuries including children.
Passport of the Kurdish American citizen killed in the Iran attacks on the Kurdistan region
He also stressed, during his meeting with the Iraqi ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdul Sattar Al-Janabi, that the Iranian attacks "violate" Iraq's sovereignty and threaten the security and stability of the region, according to a statement by the Council.
The death toll from the Iranian attacks rose to 13, and more than 50 were wounded, including women and children.
The commander of the ground forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Muhammad Pakpour, announced, on Wednesday, that his country launched 73 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones at 43 points in the Kurdistan region.
The Kurdistan government explained that the attacks were carried out by "20 drones carrying explosive materials, and they hit four areas in the Kurdistan region." The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service also indicated that Tehran launched "more than 70 ballistic missiles and unmanned aircraft launchers in 4 stages."
On the other hand, the call touched on cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in the energy field within the framework of implementing contracts for supplying Russian natural gas to Turkey and the joint construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.
These developments came after significant international tensions during the past few days, such as a large gas leak in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
The European Union has announced that it suspects that there is an act of sabotage behind the leakage of gas from Russian pipelines under the sea to Europe and promised a strong response to any deliberate disruption of energy infrastructure.
Moscow believes that the United States is the beneficiary of the accident, noting that the leak in the "Northern Stream" lines occurred in an area controlled by American intelligence, Al-Arabiya reported.
Adrian Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council at the White House, responded to the Russian accusation and said it was absurd for Russia to imply that the United States could be responsible for the leak.
What made matters worse is that these two pipelines have been, in recent months, at the center of geopolitical tensions between the West and Moscow, significantly after it cut gas supplies to Europe in response to Western sanctions against it due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Although the pipelines, operated by a consortium of firms, most of which are owned by Russia's Gazprom, are currently out of service, both pipelines still contain gas, which has alarmed many officials and environmental and climate experts worldwide.
The spill occurred in international waters off the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, between southern Sweden and Poland, an area long considered one of the world's most closely monitored expanses of water.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran attacked Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headquarters at 10:30 pm today, using rockets and Kamikaze drones. According to preliminary information, two people were martyred and several other Peshmergas were wounded," KDPI said in a statement.
Since Saturday, Iran has begun shelling bases and headquarters of Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan region. Today, it rocketed KDPI and Kurdistan Tailor’s Party’s locations in Sulaimani and Erbil.
A member of Komala speaking to KurdSat English said, "today I was informed that Iran has attacked Komala headquarters in Zrgwezala ( in Sulaimani) and places where civilians lives. Many civilians have been evacuated. As we all know, now Iran faces immense pressure as protests across Iran’s major cities and it wants to make up for that by diverting people’s attention somewhere else."
Meanwhile, Sulaimani Health Directory spokesman Saman Nader said, "six ambulances have been sent to Zrguzela to transport the injured. Although Ambulances could not operate freely due to the continuous bombings," Nader added.
The attack caused panic among the people of Koya, where most Iranian opposition groups maintain bases. Women and children were evacuated, and schools were closed for fear of the bombings.
Hours after the attack, Iranian drones were hovering over Shaheed Khalid Hospital in Koya as seen on videos published by KurdSat English.
Kurdistan Region Health Minister said they have alert medical teams to move into the city and care for the wounded. Twelve injuries have been transported to Erbil, some from Koya and others from Pride, a town 40 kilometers south of Erbil.
One of the drones bombing Pride was downed by a Kurdish opposition group, KurdSat English report in Pride said.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s fraction in the Iraqi Council of Representatives condemned the attack and called on Iran to stop neighboring countries from attacking Iraq.
Iran has long attacked opposition groups and calls for their ouster in the Kurdistan region. On September 8, 2018, Iran rocketed the KDPI headquarter in Koy Sinjaq while its top leadership was busy meeting. One missile directly landed on the hall where the KDPI top leaders were meeting, killing 14.
The recent attack is unique in scale, involving drones, artillery, and rockets. The attack has lasted longer than other previous attacks, and it continues.
PUK Press Bureau said, "Iranian forces have bombed several areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) today, causing casualties and injuries.
This act, in addition to causing loss of life and property and causing anxiety among citizens, is a clear violation of the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and is incompatible with the principles of good neighborliness and friendly relations, the Bureau said.
The Bureau also called for an immediate halt to the attacks as they were continuing and said we are condemning the bombings.
Today, Wednesday, Iran began an extensive bombing campaign targeting Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdistan region.
Kurdistan Region Health Minister announced that seven people were killed in the attack, with 24 four injured, and the number of casualties continues to increase.
The bombing of opposition bases by the Islamic Republic of Iran, for whatever reason, is a wrong attitude and misleading the course of events and is surprising. We condemn these kinds of attacks on our territory, which continue to kill civilians, and these violations must end, KRG added.
Amid nationwide protests in Iranian cities today, Iran targeted bases of Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan region.
"I want to tell you that they can never destroy our will for liberation, Hijri stressed in the statement.
I ask you to show your anger in the streets of Kurdistan and again prove that what cannot subdue Kurdistan is the attack and suppression of our legitimate demands. Your will would stop every dictator, Hijri explained in the statement.
The Imtitad Movement said in a statement that it will not participate in the session of the House of Representatives today, citing constitutional deadlines, and accusing Speaker Mohammed Halbusi of breaking the law and rules of the House.
Meanwhile, 11 independent MPs announced in a statement that they will not participate in today's session of the House of Representatives, citing their opposition to the status cow. They called for change and building an institutional country away from a repeated program.
In July, Sadrist supporters halted parliament sessions when they stormed the Iraqi parliament and camped inside its building. Today, the Council of Representatives met to discuss forming the long-awaited Iraqi government.
A new coalition named "State Administration Coalition" emerged after months of deadlock and is an all-inclusive coalition that commands the majority of the seats in the parliament.
The PUK faction noted, "The Green faction said that such attacks on the territory and people of Kurdistan are a grave crime, violating the country's sovereignty and international law.
The statement comes after the Iraqi council of Representatives PUK faction condemned the attack and called on the Iraqi government to end such attacks.
"Neighboring countries must respect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan region and guarantee the region's security. At the same time, the federal government has to protect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region," the faction declared.
Today, Wednesday, in a coordinated attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corpus (IRGC) attacked many locations in the Kurdistan region. The attack was concentrated on Sulaimani and Erbil and targeted Iranian opposition groups.
These attacks on the Kurdistan Region coincide with the protests of the Iranian people, in which several writers, artists and human rights activists were arrested. We consider these developments as domestic events in Iran. We sympathize with the Iranian and Kurdish peoples for realizing their freedom and legitimate rights.
Turkey continues to violate the Kurdistan region's territory. It is attacking the Kurdistan region with aircraft and drones and has caused instability in the region and Iraq.
These developments are dangerous and must be stopped. Iran has destroyed the peace in these areas by bombing the Kurdistan region's territory and villages. The latest and most dangerous are the Iranian bombings of the Kurdish refugee camps in Koya in Erbil province, Zrgoez in Sulaimani province and Parde town in Kirkuk province.
These violations are international and war crimes under international conventions, especially the Rome Statute, because it has targeted civilians inside homes and schools.
Kurdistan Genocide Writers Union calls on the international community and all responsible parties to protect the Kurdish people from the threat of war crimes and genocide.
On World Tourism Day, the KRG Committee of Tourism released a statement and explained, it would do everything in its hands to make the tourism sector one of the main sources of income in the Kurdistan region and create more jobs in the sector.
In 2022, the committee have been able to issue several tourism guidelines and amend some others to facilitate the affairs of the tourism sector, the committee added.
The number of tourists visiting the Kurdistan region is increasing annually. In 2021, 4 million, 189 thousand and 569 tourists visited the region. The Committee of Tourism aims to increase the figure by 50% to over six million by 2022.
The Kurdistan region’s finances heavily rely on hydrocarbon reserves, and the KRG aims to break that reliance by diversifying its economy.