The climb where no one knows where it will lead

The Houthis, supported by Iran, who destroyed the infrastructure of the Turkish armed forces in northern Syria and constantly bombarded them, are attacking a US merchant ship flying the Marshall Islands flag from Yemen. And Iran claims a missile attack was launched on the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan in northern Iraq. January 15, 2024 may not be in the history books, but it is a day that indicates that the war is gaining momentum, with no one knowing where it will lead.

a dramatic day

As we try to piece together a day of truly dramatic moments in this part of the world, we cannot help but start with what is happening in northern Syria. Several operating power plants were hit by drones and air strikes. Turkish air forces have at least six operations in Tirbespiye, Rimelen, Deriq and Kobane. Aim to hit the fuel tanks. In Rojava, where the Kurds and SDF resisted and defeated ISIS, Erdogan continues to bomb, making the lives of millions of civilians impossible. Most cities do not have electricity or gas. Among these are the cities of Amude and Kobane, which symbolize resistance against the brutality of the Caliphate. However, today everyone seems to have forgotten this, and Erdogan has been taking advantage of this by not loosening his grip on the Kurds for years. Even today there have been deaths and injuries. There is clear footage taken in Kobani of rescuers who intervened to provide aid and were themselves shot. Erdogan repeatedly puts himself forward as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, criticizes Israel and defends the Palestinians, but does not stop persecuting the Kurds.

While Turkey bombed northern Syria in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, Houthis from Yemen launched daily attacks on ships in the south of the Red Sea. The first one, held at 2pm Sanaa time, failed. The second, which took place two hours later, caused minor damage to the merchant ship without causing any injuries among the crew. In the attack a few hours before the launch of the MV Gibraltar, as the ship was called, the anti-ship ballistic missile never reached the sea and although it crashed to the ground, the latter grazed the target enough to trigger an immediate response. British fighters and the US hit various guerrilla positions.

Gaza siege continues

In an already dramatic scenario, tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated further after Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh with a drone in early January, as Israeli forces continued their siege of Gaza. By striking a building on the outskirts of Beirut, it risks opening a new front, the Iraqi front. In the evening, multiple explosions were reported near the US consulate in Erbil, Iraq; This news was immediately reported by Reuters and ABC News. “No US facilities were hit. We are not reporting any infrastructure damage or injuries at this time,” a US official told ABC News. said. There would still be six dead and at least four wounded.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council said, “These attacks are a clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.” For Iranians, this is a response to last month’s terrorist attacks in Kerman and Rask, but claimed by Al Qaeda. More than 100 people died among the crowds commemorating Pasdaran general Soleimani. The Iranian Government has never given credence to this version, despite the claims of ISIS, which today attacks the region on the southern border of Syria and Iraq where ISIS-affiliated elements are hiding. However, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.
The attacks in Erbil targeted “headquarters of spies” with ballistic missiles and “anti-Iran terrorist demonstrations in some parts of the region,” he said. The Revolutionary Guard used Shahed-136 kamikaze drones as well as ballistic missiles to attack Erbil in the Kurdistan Region. Among the victims was a wealthy businessman who, according to the Iranians, was very close to the Mossad.