The United States condemned on Sunday an Iranian attack on Iraq's northern city of Erbil and backs Baghdad and governments across the region in the face of threats from Tehran, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
"We will support the Government of Iraq in holding Iran accountable, and we will support our partners throughout the Middle East in confronting similar threats from Iran," he said in a statement released by the White House.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for a dozen ballistic missiles that struck Erbil in the early hours of Sunday.
It claimed the attack was directed against Israeli "strategic centers". This came after Israel killed two Iranian members of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria last week.
The Iraqi government said Baghdad has requested via diplomatic channels a "frank and clear" explanation from Iran regarding the attack.
Iraq "awaits a stance from the Iranian political leadership that rejects aggression," the Ministerial Council for National Security said after a meeting to discuss the attack launched from Iranian territory.
US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price said in a statement: "The strikes were an outrageous violation of Iraq’s sovereignty."
"Iran must immediately cease its attacks, respect Iraqi sovereignty, and halt its interference in Iraq’s internal affairs," he stressed.
"The United States stands with our Iraqi partners, including in the Kurdistan Region, and will help our partners in the region defend themselves."
"No US facilities were damaged or personnel injured, and we have no indications the attack was directed at the United States," he added.
