President Trump
Donald Trump Georgia Senate candidate Ossoff supports Trump’s request for K checks The White House wishes Birx well after she announces retirement Pelosi responds to Trump: Let’s press for K checks ‘this week’ MORE on Wednesday, tension between the United States and Iran increased after a rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad earlier this week, warning against any further attacks.
Sunday’s rocket attack, which included 21 missiles that killed at least one Iraqi civilian and damaged the embassy complex, was the biggest attack on the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone in a decade. It is believed to be linked to Iran.
“Our embassy in Baghdad was hit on Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets were not launched. Guess where they are from: IRAN. We now hear rumors of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq, ” Trump tweeted.
“Iran-friendly health advice: If an American is killed, I will hold Iran accountable. Think about it,” he added.
Iran-backed militias were initially reported to have fired eight rockets at the Baghdad International Zone which is home to the U.S. Embassy at around 8:30 pm local time. The facility’s missile defense system was activated to deflect the attack.
But a post-action review by the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) found that the attack included many more missiles, with about half of the 21 weapons landing inside the U.S. Embassy complex, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Centcom chief Gen. Frank McKenzie said it was not known whether the attack, which included missiles allegedly supplied by Iran, was planned by Tehran or an Iranian-related force. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
“I don’t know to what extent Iran is an accomplice,” McKenzie told the Journal on Tuesday. “We do not seek war, and I really do not believe that they will seek it.”
In a statement on Sunday, the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Mike PompeoHillicon Valley: Google denies accusations in DOJ antitrust complaint | Biden fails Trump after hack | Biden’s campaign says Twitter will eliminate followers of the POTUS account Biden’s Mistakes in the Trump administration on cybersecurity after massive hacking of sanctions by Trump’s wife of the Syrian president and family due to the civil war MORE blamed Iran-backed militias, while the Iraqi president called the attack an “act of terrorism”.
The attack takes place near the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-ordered drone attack that killed General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Soleimani and several other Iranian military officers were killed on January 3 while traveling to the airport. of Baghdad.
Tehran responded by launching a missile attack on an Iraqi air base that housed American troops, resulting in more than 100 American military personnel suffering traumatic brain injuries.
American officials have expressed concern that Iran or its representatives would further retaliate for the assassination near its anniversary earlier this month by temporarily removing some employees from its embassy in Baghdad.
And in a display of military strength, the Pentagon announced earlier this week that a guided-missile submarine had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The statement was a rare spread of the movements of one of the United States’ nuclear submarines.
The US military also flew two Louisiana B-52H bombers last week over the Persian Gulf.
The rocket attack on the U.S. embassy also occurs at a time when the Trump administration is withdrawing and the new Biden government is trying to restore the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and re-engage diplomatically with the country.