Iran's strike on Erbil ‘calculated demonstration of missile abilities’

Iran's attack on Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil and Syria was a “calculated move” in response to the twin explosions in Kerman that killed more than 80 Iranians about a week ago, Mehran Kamrava, professor of Government at Georgetown University Qatar, told Sputnik.

The strike by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was the longest-range missile attack that Iran has engaged in - about 1,200 kilometers, Professor Kamrava clarified.

“It was a deliberate demonstration by Iran to make sure that its missile abilities are known and that it is known that Iran can hit its adversaries at long distances and do so with tremendous accuracy and precision,” Kamrava said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's IRGC took responsibility for attacks on Erbil. It claimed that it targeted bases of anti-Iranian terrorist groups with several ballistic missiles “in response to the recent terrorist attacks by Iran's enemies, spy headquarters and enemy headquarters of anti-Iran terrorist groups in parts of the Middle East region.”

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🇰🇵 Kim Jong-un says North Korea is building up its forces for self-defense, not unification.

Unification with South Korea is impossible, since it strives for “collapse of our government” and “unification by absorption,” the North Korean leader said.

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❗️ IRGC strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan carried out to protect sovereignty and security, Iranian Foreign Ministry said

“These actions were taken in accordance with Iran's strong intentions, which include protecting the country's sovereignty and security and countering terrorism. This was part of the fair punishment of violators of the country's security," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

“While the enemy miscalculated and committed a crime against the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic, with its extensive intelligence network, through a precise and targeted operation, identified the headquarters of the criminals and used precise weapons. This was part of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s response to those who are taking actions against Iran's national security and the safety of Iranian citizens," he added.

What is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard?

🔸The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is an elite component of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was created in 1979, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, from disparate political factions and their armed units;

🔸The supreme commander is Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The actual leader is Lieutenant General Hossein Salami;

🔸The IRGC includes ground forces, navy, air force, Quds Force, and Basij resistance forces;

🔸The IRGC is also tasked with ensuring internal security, conducting foreign intelligence and counterintelligence, as well as monitoring the strict observance of Islamic standards of life and morals by all citizens;

🔸The IRGC also controls Iran's missile program;

🔸IRGC troops are participating in ground operations in Syria and Iraq against ISIS;

🔸Iranian Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in January 2020 in a US strike at Baghdad Airport, was the commander of the Al-Quds special forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designed to conduct special operations outside of Iran.

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WATCH LIVE: Russian FM Lavrov Holds Talks With North Korean Counterpart

👉 Follow the live here or on Sputnik's website

❗️ The US policy of creating threats to the security of the DPRK does not contribute to solving problems in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Russia calls for the abandonment of any steps that lead to an escalation of tensions around the Korean Peninsula, he added.

❗️ This afternoon, Putin will meet in the Kremlin with the heads of the Foreign Ministries of Russia and the DPRK, who will report to him on the negotiations held in Moscow

❗️ Putin has been invited to visit the DPRK, and Pyongyang hopes to intensify exchanges with Russian delegations at a high level in 2024, the DPRK foreign minister said.

The DPRK will make every effort to develop relations with Russia, the minister added.

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Peregrine lunar probe predicted to burn up in atmosphere with flag of Ukraine

The Peregrine lunar probe on its way to Earth, which could not successfully complete its mission to land on the Moon, carries the flag of Ukraine on board, while it is known for certain that the apparatus will burn up in the atmosphere, Ukrainian media writes.

It is noted that the device, which is carrying various loads, including a “map of Ukraine on a metal plate,” will burn up in the atmosphere, the media reports.

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🪖 "Mom, I've got my hat on!": Russian military following a touching trend

The meme "don't forget to wear a hat!" or “Mom, I've got my hat on!” is part of Russian culture, showing how much Russian mothers care for their children. The new internet trend of posting photos proving you wore your hat in winter has gone viral in Russia, with Russian soldiers fighting in the special military operation zone no exception.

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❗️ 24 ballistic missiles were fired at targets in Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria, Iran's IRGC said

📹 Russian Tor-M2 crews protect assault units from enemy drones and aircraft in the Krasny Liman direction

After receiving a combat mission, the air defense missile system crew began monitoring the airspace. In just one shift on combat duty, several Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed.

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❗️ In the Kupyansk direction, Kiev’s losses amounted to up to 160 military personnel and three tanks, two of which were Leopard-2s, the Russian Defense Ministry said

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from Russian MoD briefing on progress of special military op in Ukraine:

▪️Russian air defenses shot down 69 Ukrainian drones.

▪️Four attacks were repelled in the Krasny Liman direction; Ukraine’s losses amounted to up to 250 military personnel and two infantry fighting vehicles.

▪️Five attacks were repelled in the Donetsk direction, the enemy lost up to 280 soldiers, a tank, and two infantry fighting vehicles. In the South Donetsk direction, Kiev's losses amounted to up to 120 military personnel.

▪️In the Zaporozhye and Kherson directions, Ukrainian forces lost up to 180 troops.

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EU to audit weapons aid to Ukraine amid concerns about 'inadequate' contributions

Brussels has initiated an audit of military aid from its 27 members to Ukraine since 2022 amid concerns about inadequate contributions. The decline in Western aid has raised unease about fatiguing solidarity. The audit, led by the EU's External Action Service (EEAS), seeks to present findings before the February 1 EU leaders' summit.

The decision to audit military support for Ukraine stems from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's recent call to tally and evaluate countries' deliveries to Kiev. “The arms deliveries for Ukraine planned so far by the majority of EU member states are too small,” he argued. Germany leads in pledges, but concerns linger about other major EU contributors.

Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.

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🇷🇺🇰🇵 Before the Russian-North Korean negotiations, Sergey Lavrov greeted DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Reception House.

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