Iran Struck Kurdish Capital in Iraq With Shahed Drones

Iran launched kamikaze drone strikes on the city of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The video was published by the researcher and monitoring platform War Noir.

The Iranian military likely used several Shahed-136 attack drones for the attack.

Several strikes were recorded in the city, accompanied by powerful explosions.

#Iran / #Iraq 🇮🇷🇮🇶: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (#IRGC) struck Kurdish militant groups’ positions in #Erbil, capital of Iraqi #Kurdistan.

IRGC very likely used multiple “Shahed-136” Kamikaze Drones (Loitering Munition) to carry out the attack. Several impacts reported. https://t.co/wB7UEKGoq5

— War Noir (@war_noir) October 8, 2026

Erbil is the administrative center of the Iraqi Kurdistan region and is considered a key political and economic hub of northern Iraq.

The city is of significant strategic importance, as it is home to diplomatic missions and an airbase.

U.S. forces had been stationed at this infrastructure for a long time, and their withdrawal was completed in September.

The troop withdrawal took place in accordance with agreements between the U.S. and Iraq concluded in 2024, which provided for the completion of the coalition’s military mission.

At the same time, Iranian-Kurdish opposition parties that oppose the regime in Tehran have long been based in the region.

Iran considers these organizations to be militants and separatists, accusing them of destabilizing the situation in Iran’s western provinces.

An Iranian strike in March severely damaged a Saudi Arabian Air Force RE-3A reconnaissance aircraft.

This is a specialized aircraft based on the Boeing 707, used to carry out electronic reconnaissance missions.