At least five American soldiers were wounded in an attack on a military base in Iraq overnight, U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Middle East braces for a possible new round of attacks by Iran and its allies following the killing last week of senior figures from the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Two Katyusha rockets were fired at al-Asad air base in western Iraq, two Iraqi security sources said. One of the sources said the rockets fell inside the base. It was not clear whether the attack was linked to Iran’s threats of retaliation for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said one of the wounded Americans was in serious condition, but there were unconfirmed reports that two soldiers were killed.
Last week, the United States carried out a strike in Iraq against what U.S. officials said were militant drone strikers posing a threat to U.S. and coalition forces. Who fired the missiles at the U.S. base tonight? It may have been Kataib Hezbollah, one of several pro-Iranian militias active across Iraq and Syria, considered one of the most organized and numerous in a context characterized by many groups that are sometimes allied and at the same time competing, but all funded and led, to a greater or lesser extent, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s most powerful military force, which exerts considerable influence throughout the region. Various pro-Iranian militia groups have been attacking U.S. targets for years, but have intensified and increased the frequency of these attacks since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. Since October 7, there have been more than 150 attacks, conducted with rockets, drones and short-range ballistic missiles. Those strikes slowed after three American soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan. The U.S. subsequently responded significantly, hitting 85 targets in seven different locations.
In a phone call tonight, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant agreed, according to a Pentagon statement, that the attack “is a dangerous escalation that highlights Iran’s destabilizing role in the region.” Joe Biden, who was immediately briefed, told X: “The Vice President and I were briefed earlier in the Situation Room on developments in the Middle East. We received updates on the threats posed by Iran and its allies, diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel if it is attacked again. We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack on our personnel in the manner and place of our choosing.” Finally, in recent days, Iran has moved missile launchers and conducted military exercises in preparation for an attack on Israel. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, everything indicates that Tehran is preparing to conduct an attack in the coming days.
