ERBIL — The Iraq-led investigations have found no evidence on the presence of any Israeli bases in Erbil as it was alleged by Iran to justify last month’s missile attack in the Kurdish capital.
On March 13, Iran hit a civilian property in Erbil with 12 ballistic missiles, claiming later that it had targeted a headquarters belonging to the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad). The Accusation was soon rejected by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) which called for an international investigation.
Two Iraqi officials cited by Asharq al-Awsat said Tehran had previously expressed concerns about the Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region, but there was no prior discussions about any Israeli bases until after the attack in March.
“Baghdad asked the Iranian side to prove its allegations about the presence of Mossad with reliable evidences that could be pursued, but it did not do so despite repeated calls from Iraq,” one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.
An independent member of the Iraqi Parliament, who attended hearings on the investigation, told the newspaper that Iranian Ambassador Iraj Masjedi did not provide any evidences to prove the existence of Mossad headquarters in Erbil.
He further argued that the missile attack is believed to be rather Tehran’s reaction to the latest parliamentary elections, in which the pro-Iran Shia groups lost the race.
The officials both confirmed that the Iraqi investigations at the site of the bombardment, which is a large mansion belonging to a prominent Kurdish businessman, have concluded that it was a civilian property with no trace of any suspicious activities that could back Iran’s claims.