<\/p>\nListen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Iranian forces have launched an operation targeting Kurdish groups in their semi-autonomous region of neighbouring Iraq, as they also began their 19th wave of missile and drone attacks against Israel and United States assets in the Middle East on the sixth day of a regional war that has embroiled much of the region in the conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s Press TV reported early on Thursday that the military was targeting \u201canti-Iran separatist forces\u201d, without specifying the location of the strikes.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Iran\u2019s \u2060intelligence \u2060ministry confirmed that it targeted posts \u2060of \u201cseparatist groups\u201d who intended to enter through \u2060western borders, adding that they sustained heavy losses. The Iranian ministry \u2060statement, which \u2060was carried by state media, said Iranian forces are cooperating \u200cwith \u201cnoble Kurds\u201d to thwart the \u201cIsraeli-American\u201d plan to attack \u200cIranian \u200csoil.<\/p>\n<p>The new strikes on Iraq\u2019s semi-autonomous Kurdish region come nearly one week into the US-Israel war against Iran, which has killed at least 1,045 people across the country since Saturday, according to Iran\u2019s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n<p>Video clips posted on X by Press TV showed explosions lighting up the night sky during the operation.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, multiple blasts were reported in the province of Sulaimaniyah in northern Iraq. According to local media, at least four explosions were heard in the province, near the areas of Arabat, Zarkuiz and Surdash.<\/p>\n<p>Local sources said the attacks targeted the headquarters of the Kurdistan Toilers Association, or Komala, an Iranian Kurdish armed group in Iraq.<\/p>\n<p>The attacks come amid reports that Iranian Kurdish armed groups have consulted with the US in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran\u2019s security forces in the western part of the country and what support they might receive from Washington.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Reuters news agency, the Iranian Kurdish coalition of groups based on the \u200cIran-Iraq border has been training to mount such an attack in hopes of weakening the country\u2019s military.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, Iran\u2019s Tasnim news agency denied reports of Kurdish fighters crossing into Iran from Iraq.<\/p>\n<h2>Iran hits back at Israel, US presence<\/h2>\n<p>As the attacks on Kurdish groups were launched, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced the latest round of attacks against Israel and US assets in the Middle East early on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s air defence system intercepted two drones over the western Galilee region, Israel\u2019s Channel 12 reported. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted at least three drones, while Qatar ordered the evacuation of homes near the US Embassy in Doha.<\/p>\n<h2>Residents flee Tehran<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, the US and Israel continue to pound Iran, with explosions shaking Tehran as well as the Kurdish cities of Sanandaj, Saqqez and Bukan.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military, on Monday morning, confirmed a new widespread wave of attacks on Iran, with a spokesperson stating that its air force \u201cattacked and destroyed\u201d a ballistic missile platform that had been preparing to launch an attack from the Iranian city of Qom.<\/p>\n<p>The US Central Command (CENTCOM), in turn, said it aimed to \u201celiminate\u201d Iran\u2019s mobile missile launch capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Iran, in response to the attacks, has activated its air defences, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStarting from midnight, we saw another wave of these strikes begin, and an hour ago, we heard the sound of massive blasts from the eastern part of the capital and could even feel the shockwaves where we are,\u201d said Al Jazeera\u2019s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is not yet clear what the targets are. There have also been attacks on the Kurdish cities of Sanandaj, Saqqez and Bukan overnight. We know that, all in all, more than 150 cities in Iran have been attacked since Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asadi said \u201ca considerable portion\u201d of Tehran\u2019s population has decided to evacuate Tehran amid the ongoing US and Israeli strikes, mainly those who have homes outside the Iranian capital.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill, there are many others who have been left behind. They are living amid all these concerns, frustrations and anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Iranian forces have launched an operation targeting Kurdish groups in their semi-autonomous region of neighbouring Iraq, as they also began their 19th wave of missile and drone attacks against Israel and United States assets in the Middle East on the sixth day of a regional war that has embroiled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}