Israeli Missiles Reportedly Fall in Anbar and Tikrit Amid Silence from Iran-Backed Militias
Israeli missiles struck Iraq’s Anbar and Tikrit, with reports they traversed Iraqi airspace en route to Iran. Iran confirmed high-profile deaths, including IRGC chief Salami. No PMF response yet. Flights were suspended. Observers fear escalation across the Middle East.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Several Israeli missiles reportedly landed in Iraq’s Anbar and Tikrit provinces early Friday, though no official statement has yet been issued by Iran-aligned militias or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) regarding the broader Israeli strikes against Iran.
According to Kurdistan24’s Baghdad correspondent, Dylan Barzan, some of the missiles targeting Iran were launched from Israeli positions and traversed Iraqi airspace, with remnants falling in the western Anbar and central Salahaddin provinces.
Sources affiliated with the "Axis of Resistance" have privately acknowledged that Israel used Iraqi territory or airspace to facilitate its operations, accusing Tel Aviv of bypassing Iraqi sovereignty to strike Iran.
The incident has disrupted air travel in the region. Kurdistan24 learned that all flights were suspended starting at 4 a.m. local time, leading to widespread inconvenience and concern among Iraqi civilians.
#BREAKING 🚨 Breaking: Iraq and Kurdistan Region airspace closed; all flights suspended. pic.twitter.com/UzMTVREqIS
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) June 13, 2025
Despite the severity of the situation, groups close to the PMF and the so-called "resistance factions" have yet to release any official response or claim.
Earlier Friday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency confirmed that Israel had targeted sites in Tehran and several other locations, including a headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The attack reportedly killed senior Iranian figures such as IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, Iran’s Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, Islamic Azad University President Mohammad Tehranchi, and nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi.
Iranian authorities have since appointed Ahmad Vahidi—a former commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force and a key figure in Iran’s security establishment—as Salami’s successor. His appointment signals continuity amid crisis and underscores the significance of the loss suffered in the Israeli strikes.
The regional and geopolitical implications of the Israeli operation remain unclear, but observers warn that any further escalation risks expanding the conflict across multiple theaters in the Middle East.
