Iraq recalls ambassador and summons Iran charge d’affaires over strikes in Irbil

Iran fired missiles at what it claimed was Israeli ‘spy headquarters’ near the US Consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and at targets linked to the extremist group Islamic State in northern Syria (Omar Albam/AP)

Iraq recalled its ambassador from Tehran for consultations and summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Baghdad on Tuesday in protest over Iranian strikes on northern Iraq that killed several civilians overnight, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said.

The Iranian attack was “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, strongly contradicts the principles of good neighbourliness and international law, and threatens the security of the region,” it said in a statement.