Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Take Responsibility for Attack on Erbil

A damaged building following ballistic missile attacks on Erbil - AFP
A damaged building following ballistic missile attacks on Erbil - AFP
TT

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Take Responsibility for Attack on Erbil

A damaged building following ballistic missile attacks on Erbil - AFP
A damaged building following ballistic missile attacks on Erbil - AFP

Iran's Revolutionary Guards released on Sunday a statement taking responsibility for missile attacks against Israeli "strategic centers" in Iraq's northern Kurdish regional capital of Erbil, Iran's state media reported.

"Any repetition of attacks by Israel will be met with a harsh, decisive and destructive response," the statement said, Reuters reported.

This came after Israel killed two Iranian members of the Revolutionary Guards earlier this week in Syria.

Earlier on Sunday, Kurdish officials said a dozen ballistic missiles launched from outside Iraq struck Erbil.

Iraqi President Barham Salih condemned the attack in a tweet, saying the timing was “suspicious” and aims to obstruct the constitutional process of forming a "capable government."

Also, the US State Department spokesperson called the incident as an “outrageous attack” but said no Americans were hurt and there was no damage to US government facilities in Erbil, according to AFP.



Netanyahu Takes the Stand on Day 4 of Corruption Trials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP)
TT

Netanyahu Takes the Stand on Day 4 of Corruption Trials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand on the fourth day of testimony in his corruption trials Wednesday, saying the accusations against him are “idiotic.”

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant, is on trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.

He was supposed to testify on Tuesday, but it was canceled after he requested a postponement due to “security reasons.”

Netanyahu toured the summit of Mount Hermon, part of the Syrian buffer zone that Israeli forces seized after President Bashar Assad was ousted by the opposition last week. It appeared to be the first time an Israeli leader had set foot that far into Syria.

The testimony, set to take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up a significant chunk of Netanyahu’s working hours, prompting critics to ask if he can capably manage a country embroiled in a war on one front, containing the fallout from a second, and keeping tabs on other potential regional threats, including from Iran.