The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, affirmed that "Iran has no connection to the Erbil attack," rejecting any act that endangers the security of Iraq.
Al Jazeera reported Khatibzadeh's statement: "The suspicious attempts to accuse Iran of being behind the attack on Erbil Airport," noting that these events raise suspicions and calling on the Iraqi government to take measures to hold the perpetrators accountable. A foreign civilian contractor was killed, and five others were injured, along with an American soldier in a missile attack targeting an airbase in Kurdistan, Iraq, according to the U.S.-led coalition.
At least three missiles were fired at Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, with one hitting a military compound at the city's airport that houses coalition forces led by the United States. The coalition's spokesperson, Colonel Wayne Marotto, confirmed that the contractor who was killed was not Iraqi but did not provide details about his nationality.
Stricter security measures were enforced around the airport, which was closed, while military helicopters hovered overhead, and security forces were deployed in the streets. Firefighting teams rushed to extinguish the flames resulting from the missile strikes.
For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States is "outraged" by the missile attack that occurred on Monday in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, which reportedly resulted in the death of a civilian contractor and injuries to several others, including an American soldier and multiple American contractors. Blinken, in a statement reported by Reuters, said: "I spoke with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, to discuss the incident and reaffirm our support for all efforts to investigate it and hold those responsible accountable."
