US 'strongly condemns' Iran attack on Erbil that killed six Peshmerga

WASHINGTON DC - US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Rudaw on Wednesday that Washington “strongly condemns” Iran’s missile strike that killed six Peshmerga fighters and injured dozens more in Erbil province.

“The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and its Iraqi terrorist militia proxies against US citizens and our partners across the Middle East, including the outrageous attack today near Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region,” Pigott told Rudaw.

Pigott added that they “offer condolences to the families of the Peshmerga killed and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Early Tuesday, Iranian ballistic missiles struck the Peshmerga Area Command One headquarters in Erbil province’s Soran administration, killing six fighters and injuring 30 others, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga said.

The strike follows a series of missile and drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region since February 28, when a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began.

Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks on the Kurdistan Region in recent weeks, but this incident marks the first direct strike attributed to Iran itself.

“We reaffirm that we have every right to confront any aggression against our people and our land,” the Ministry of Peshmerga said.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has maintained strict neutrality throughout the conflict, positioning itself as a “factor of peace” and urging dialogue. KRG leaders have repeatedly stressed that their territory will not be used to threaten neighboring countries.

Ahead of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, Kurdish opposition parties in Iran announced a new political alliance to unify their efforts against the Islamic Republic and advance Kurdish self-determination.

The alliance brought together six Kurdish parties: the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan, the Organization of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle (Khabat), and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.