Iran Says it Had Warned Iraq Many Times About Threats

Interior view of a house that was damaged during missile attacks in Erbil, Iraq March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
Interior view of a house that was damaged during missile attacks in Erbil, Iraq March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
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Iran Says it Had Warned Iraq Many Times About Threats

Interior view of a house that was damaged during missile attacks in Erbil, Iraq March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
Interior view of a house that was damaged during missile attacks in Erbil, Iraq March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Tehran had warned Iraqi authorities many times that its territory should not be used by third parties to conduct attacks against Iran, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

He was speaking one day after Iran attacked Iraq's northern city of Erbil with a dozen ballistic missiles in an unprecedented assault on the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region that appeared to target the United States and its allies.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the missile assault.

Iranian state media said the Revolutionary Guards Corps had launched the attack against Israeli "strategic centers" in Erbil, suggesting it was revenge for recent Israeli air strikes that killed Iranian military personnel in Syria.

The Iraqi Kurdish regional government said the attack only targeted civilian residential areas, not sites belonging to foreign countries, and called on the international community to carry out an investigation.

Sunday's attack came as talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal face the prospect of collapse after a last-minute Russian demand forced world powers to pause negotiations for an undetermined time despite having a largely completed text.



US Demands Clarity from Allies on Their Role in Potential War over Taiwan, FT Reports

Flags of US and China are seen in this illustration picture taken August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Flags of US and China are seen in this illustration picture taken August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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US Demands Clarity from Allies on Their Role in Potential War over Taiwan, FT Reports

Flags of US and China are seen in this illustration picture taken August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Flags of US and China are seen in this illustration picture taken August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

The Pentagon is urging Japan and Australia to clarify what role they would play if the US and China went to war over Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defense for policy, has been pushing the matter during recent talks with defense officials of both countries, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions.

According to the newspaper, the reported request caught both Tokyo and Canberra off guard, as the US itself does not offer a blank cheque guarantee to defend Taiwan, Reuters reported.

The US is Taiwan's most important arms supplier, despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties. Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from China, including several rounds of war games, as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims over the island. Taiwan rejects China's assertion of sovereignty.

Colby was deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development during President Donald Trump's first term. Colby is known for arguing that the US military should prioritize competition with China and shift its focus from the Middle East and Europe.