Tehran-backed newspaper says US and Israeli facilities in Iraq's Kurdistan Region have been devastated, but the claims remain unverified and reflect Iran's wartime narrative

 An Iranian state-aligned newspaper claims US military infrastructure in Erbil has been destroyed during the Iran-US conflict, though the assertions remain unverified and form part of Tehran's broader wartime messaging.

An Iranian state-aligned newspaper has claimed that nearly all US military infrastructure in and around Erbil has been destroyed by Iranian missile and drone strikes, presenting the attacks as part of Tehran's retaliation against American and Israeli operations during the ongoing regional conflict.

The report, published by Kayhan International, alleges that facilities used by the United States and Israel in Iraq's Kurdistan Region were reduced to rubble by strikes carried out by the Iranian Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The newspaper further claims that anti-Iranian Kurdish opposition groups operating from the Kurdistan Region have lost much of their operational capability following the attacks.

These claims have not been independently verified, and no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate the reported scale of destruction.

Iran Expands Its Wartime Narrative

According to the report, Tehran argues that any location hosting US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces or groups it accuses of carrying out operations against Iran constitutes a legitimate military target.

The article repeats longstanding Iranian allegations that American and Israeli intelligence services operate from the Kurdistan Region alongside Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.

Iranian authorities have frequently accused these organisations of conducting cross-border attacks and intelligence operations against Iran—claims consistently rejected by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which has repeatedly stated that it does not allow its territory to be used to threaten neighbouring countries.

The report also cites Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Akraminia, who claimed that attacks had inflicted extensive damage on US facilities in Erbil and significantly degraded the capabilities of Iranian opposition groups based in northern Iraq.

No independent military assessments have confirmed those assertions.

Psychological and Information Warfare

Beyond the battlefield, the report illustrates the increasingly prominent role of information warfare in the confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Rather than simply describing military operations, the article portrays Iran as successfully dismantling American regional influence while asserting that US attempts to rebuild military capabilities will ultimately fail.

It also frames Iranian military operations as defensive measures conducted under international law and emphasises Tehran's willingness to strike American interests throughout the region, including in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Caspian Sea, and neighbouring countries.

Such messaging serves multiple audiences simultaneously:

• Domestic Iranian audiences, by portraying military success against a superior adversary.
• Regional allies and partners, by reinforcing Iran's deterrence narrative.
• Opponents, by signalling Tehran's willingness to target US assets beyond its borders.

The Kurdistan Region Remains at the Centre of Regional Tensions

For years, Iraq's Kurdistan Region has occupied a sensitive position in Iran's regional security calculations.

Tehran has repeatedly accused Iranian Kurdish opposition organisations based in northern Iraq of supporting armed activities against the Islamic Republic.

Those accusations have periodically led to Iranian missile and drone strikes inside the Kurdistan Region targeting facilities allegedly linked to opposition groups.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has consistently condemned such attacks as violations of Iraqi sovereignty while maintaining that it seeks stable relations with neighbouring countries and does not permit its territory to serve as a launchpad for attacks against Iran.

The United States has also maintained a military presence in Erbil as part of the international coalition established to combat the Islamic State, although Washington has consistently stated that coalition forces are present at the invitation of the Iraqi government and operate in coordination with Baghdad.

Analysis: Narratives Matter Almost as Much as Military Operations

Whether or not the claims published by Kayhan International accurately reflect conditions on the ground, they highlight an increasingly important feature of modern conflict: the battle over perception.

State-affiliated media frequently play a central role in shaping wartime narratives, amplifying military successes, reinforcing domestic morale, and signalling resolve to external audiences. In Iran's case, portraying American military infrastructure as severely damaged supports a broader strategic narrative that Tehran can impose significant costs on the United States and its allies despite conventional military asymmetries.

At the same time, extraordinary battlefield claims require independent verification. Open-source intelligence, satellite imagery, and official statements from the United States, Iraq, or the Kurdistan Regional Government would normally be needed to substantiate assertions that "almost all" US military infrastructure in Erbil had been destroyed. At the time of publication, such evidence has not been made publicly available.

The report nevertheless reflects how the Kurdistan Region continues to occupy a pivotal place in the strategic competition between Iran and the United States. Its geography, coalition military presence, and proximity to Iran ensure that Erbil remains not only a physical arena for regional tensions but also a focal point in competing narratives surrounding the conflict.

As military operations increasingly unfold alongside sophisticated information campaigns, distinguishing verified developments from wartime messaging will remain essential for understanding the evolving security landscape in Iraq and the wider Middle East.

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