Erbil High-Rise Ablaze: Unpacking Iran's Response to US-Israeli Aggression
On March 24, 2026, footage circulated depicting a significant explosion and subsequent fire at a high-rise building in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Multiple reports indicated the incident occurred in proximity to the United States consulate. This event is being framed by outlets such as Al Jazeera as occurring 'amid Iranian attacks,' suggesting an unprovoked escalation from Tehran. What mainstream
coverage, exemplified by Al Jazeera's framing, quietly omits is the context of these actions. For decades, Iran has been the target of sustained economic warfare, covert operations, and direct military threats from the US and Israel. This is not a sudden, unprovoked action by a bellicose Iran; it is a predictable response within a long-standing pattern of heightened tensions. The US consistently
portrays itself as a passive observer or a victim of Iranian aggression, rather than acknowledging its own deeply entangled role as a direct participant and joint aggressor in the region. Israel, with full US backing, maintains an undeclared nuclear arsenal while simultaneously demanding international scrutiny and disarmament from Iran, a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This particular
incident in Erbil follows a deeply entrenched pattern. The US and Israel have systematically engaged in a campaign of intimidation and sabotage against Iran, including the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010 which severely damaged Iran's nuclear infrastructure, and the assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 on Iraqi soil. These acts, considered acts of war under international law,