Act Of War - Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles At U.S. Consulate In Irbil
Act Of War - Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles At U.S. Consulate In Irbil
The rapidly deepening alliance between Iran and Communist China...
Yesterday 12 ballistic missiles hit in the immediate vicinity of the U.S. consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. Suspicion immediately fell on Iran. That suspicion was confirmed when shortly thereafter the Iranians claimed responsibility for the attack. The missiles were fired from Iranian territory.
Iran’s Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack was retaliation for what it deemed Israeli aggression and characterized the American consulate in Iraq as being somehow an Israeli “strategic center of conspiracy” in Irbil. A U.S. defense official speaking anonymously confirmed the strike was launched from neighboring Iran.
In a statement issued Sunday, the IRGC indicated that the operation was in response to an Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital of Damascus last Monday, in which two IRGC officers were killed.
"Following the recent crimes of the fake Zionist regime and the previous announcement that the crimes and evils of this infamous regime will not go unanswered, the strategic center for conspiracy and evil of the Zionists was targeted by powerful and pinpoint missiles of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps," the IRGC said.
Satellite channel Kurdistan24, located near the U.S. consulate, went on air shortly after the attack, showing shattered glass and debris on their studio floor. American officials indicate that no Americans were hurt in the attack. The consulate is still under construction and has not yet been occupied.
Iraqi officials have stated that the ballistic missiles were the Iranian-made Fateh-110. The Fateh-110 is a short-range ballistic missile. While the missiles are built in Iran they are produced with the help of Chinese contractors. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Treasury accused Chinese firm, Great Wall Industry, and its partners of playing a lead role in the development of the Fateh-110.
Iran unveiled a new missile earlier this year with a reported range that it said would allow it to reach U.S. bases in the Middle East as well as targets inside its Israel. State TV reported that the missile has solid fuel and a range of 900 miles. It is called the Kheibershekan – a reference to a battle in 628 AD when Islamic warriors defeated Jewish tribes in what is now Saudi Arabia. Its name is, therefore, a very clear, deliberate reference to the defeat of Israel by Muslim forces.
From Iran, the closest point in Israel is 620 miles. Iran now has missiles that can travel 1,250 miles. It is continuing to work on missiles with an even greater range.
The attacks on our consulate in Irbil are in some sense a continuation of Iranian drone and missile attacks on our facilities and our allies that have been ongoing for some time. They also, however, must be set in the context of a rapidly deepening alliance between Iran and Communist China. On March 27, 2021, China and Iran signed an agreement according to which Beijing will invest $400 billion in Iran over the next 25 years. The agreement also calls for the deployment of 5000 Chinese troops to Iran and the construction of a Chinese military base in Iran.
Equally concerning is the agreement’s promise of continuing military support by Communist China to Iran. Iran will now be able to purchase advanced military weapons and technology from China, which will change the balance of power in the region. China, Russia, and Iran just concluded joint naval exercises dubbed “2022 Marine Security Belt” on January 21 in the Iranian port of Chabahar, which is on the Indian Ocean and near the strategically important Gulf of Oman.
Meanwhile, as the Iranians target our personnel and facilities and climb even further into bed with Communist China, the Biden administration is moving ahead full speed with negotiations intended to lead to yet another disastrous Iran nuclear deal. This deal will not only turn the Iranians loose to pursue nuclear weapons, it will also lift sanctions on a raft of individuals and entities directly tied to terrorism and hand over to Tehran billions of dollars in funds currently frozen in accounts around the world.
A U.S. state department spokesperson responded to the barrage of missiles on our consulate by calling it an “outrageous attack against Iraqi sovereignty and display of violence.” No mention was made of the fact that the attack was aimed at Americans. No reference was made to any intention to retaliate. Discussions with Iran in Vienna will no doubt continue without interruption as if nothing happened.
China’s new ally Iran is openly attacking Americans and American facilities. This latest missile barrage is by any definition an act of war. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a response from Biden and his mandarins.
There will not be one.