US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, on Sunday, condemned the missile attacks in Erbil, Iraq, for which Iran has now claimed responsibility, CBS reported. 

Speaking on the ‘Face the Nation’ program, Sullivan said that Washington was working to help Iraq have missile capabilities to defend itself. He clarified that no US citizens were hit and no structures were harmed in the missile strikes, which landed near the US consulate in Erbil. However, Sullivan also asserted that the US would do the necessary to protect its people, allies, and interests. 

Sullivan said, “We are in consultation with the Iraqi government and the government in Iraqi Kurdistan, in part to help them get the missile defence capabilities to be able to defend themselves in their cities”. 

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In a statement released from the White House, Sullivan also backed the Baghdad government, saying “We will support the Government of Iraq in holding Iran accountable, and we will support our partners throughout the Middle East in confronting similar threats from Iran”. 

He also shared details about the nuclear talks with Iran and said they were at an impasse. Sullivan commented, “The various negotiators are back home in their capitals and we will have to see what happens in the days ahead with respect to the diplomacy around the nuclear deal”. 

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However, Sullivan assured that President Joe Biden remains committed to stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. To that end, Reuters reported him saying “One thing I will say is that the only thing more dangerous than Iran armed with ballistic missiles and advanced military capabilities is an Iran that has all of those things and a nuclear weapon”. 

A number of missiles struck the northern Kurdish regional capital in the early hours of Sunday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility and said the attacks were retaliation for an Israeli strike that had killed two members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria.