TEHRAN — After sending repeated warnings to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s authorities, and only after they ignored these warnings, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps resumed operations against terrorist bases in northern Iraq.

The first phase of this operation began on Saturday by the IRGC ground forces. Units belonging to the Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada base launched the operation to “destroy the positions of anti-Iranian terrorist groups affiliated with global arrogance in northern Iraq who have in recent days trespassed on Iran's northwestern borders and attacked some border bases of our country,” the IRGC said in a statement.

Iran has repeatedly warned the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s officials that it will not tolerate the presence of terrorist groups in northern Iraq. 

Aside from terrorist groups, small groups sparking secessionist moves in Iran’s Kurdistan are actively trying to incite ethnic protests with the aim of separating Iran’s Kurdistan.

These small groups have a bee in their bonnet to annex Iran’s Kurdistan to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

On Wednesday, Iran continued its military operation against the terrorist groups and separationists based in the KRG.

In its statement released on Wednesday, the IRGC ground force unit said, “After the necessary warnings to the authorities of the northern region of Iraq through the relevant officials to dismantle the activities of anti-Iranian terrorist groups related to global arrogance in their territory and disregarding this legitimate and legal demand of the Islamic Republic that continues with the presence of terrorist groups and attacks on the border areas of the Islamic Republic, as well as some bases and border checkpoints of our country as well as supporting the recent riots, soldiers of the Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps launched artillery attacks against the headquarters and deployment centers based in parts of the region.”

According to the IRGC ground forces, the remnants of counter-revolutionary terrorist groups are still scattered in the area and threaten the security and peace of the Iranians. Therefore, a new stage of the operation of the IRGC ground forces unit began against positions, headquarters and the barracks of these groups in the northern region of Iraq.

The statement said that the IRGC used “missile and drone units… and heavy and combined fire of precision-strike missiles and offensive and destructive drones. Fatal blows have been inflicted on them.”

The statement promised that the details of the operation and casualties of the enemies of the Iranian nation will be released subsequently.

It also emphasized once again that such operations will continue “resolutely until the threat is effectively removed and the headquarters of terrorist groups are dismantled and the authorities of the region fulfill their obligations and responsibilities.”

According to Mizan news agency, at least 72 missiles were shot deep into 130kms into the northern Iraqi territories. 

Meanwhile, Brigadier Abbas Nilforoushan, the operations deputy commander of the IRGC, told Tasnim news agency that Iran, under no circumstances allows the formation of threat centers around its territory. “We have announced to everyone that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to all our neighbors with whom we have a peaceful coexistence. We have also repeatedly said not just Iran, no country will accept the formation of threat centers against itself near its borders.”

Referring to the recent actions and operations of the IRGC ground forces in this regard, he pointed out that shelling of anti-revolutionary positions and enemy headquarters on the other side of Iran’s northwestern borders and the northern region of Iraq is in line with Tehran’s strategic approach.
 
“We have announced to our friends in the Iraqi Kurdistan region that taking a stronghold and establishing a base by the enemies of the Islamic Revolution in the region is not acceptable,” Nilforoushan reiterated.

For some time, the senior commander noted, counter-revolutionaries from the northwest region have attacked and infiltrated the country to create unrest and insecurity and to develop an atmosphere of unrest.

He added that some of these anti-revolutionary agents were arrested in some of the riots that took place in the northwest Iran. He did not give a detail about the timing of their detention.

“Naturally, we had to defend ourselves and react. We shelled the border area,” Nilforoushan explained.

As a matter of fact, he added, the IRGC ground forces is carrying out a mission and defending the interests of the Islamic Revolution.

“We will hit the counter-revolutionaries wherever they create a stronghold and become the source of operations against the security of the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran and want to direct and lead terrorist movements,” he pointed out. 

According to the brigadier, the headquarters the IRGC targeted recently played the biggest role in the recent unrests.

Stating that Tehran considers such measures as legitimate defense, Nilforoushan noted that Iran had informed the regional authorities of its warnings and plans.

“We emphasized our confrontation with any threats and anti-security operations in the country's border areas, including plans that its focal point is the Zionist regime will be decisive and firm,” he said.

“We clearly stated that we do not hide anything when we are confronting the Zionist regime. We consider all its activities in the occupied territories and the region. We have complete intelligence supremacy on their spy bases, the relevant people, operational commanders and all the movements of the regime, and we act whenever we think it is appropriate to strike,” he starkly warned.

Nilforoushan then reminded the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s officials that during the Erbil missile operation, all of Iran’s communication and intelligence documents showed that Tehran hit the strategic center of the Israeli regime, where they were conducting espionage and directing the counter-revolutionary forces and obtaining intelligence from Iran’s western border.

“We have stated many times that no country will allow a conspiracy center to exist around its territory, and whenever we feel that we are facing such a threat, we will act according to the judgment and discretion of the commanders,” the operations deputy commander explained.

Meanwhile, Iraq has summoned the Iranian envoy to Baghdad over the recent operation. 

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s officials and media are trying to spread misinformation by stating that civilians were killed in this operation, while videos released by the IRGC ground forces clearly show that the IRGC hit the bases with precision-guided missiles. Interestingly, the Kurdish reporter covering the operation was not wearing an armored helmet, indicating that he was sure no missile would hit him. Had the situation been unsafe for the Kurdish people, the reporter would have worn an armored helmet and a security vest. 

Kurdish propaganda machine will continue its narrative, trying to convince people that it is the victim, while the KRG leader Massoud Barzani has fueled the protests in Iran’s Kurdistan in hope to turn it into violent riots. It is no secret that Barzani seeks the annexation of Iran’s Kurdistan to the KRG territory. To him we say: in your dreams!