BAGHDAD – US and Iraqi authorities have warned Iran and Iran-backed militias that any attack on US diplomats or military forces here would be met with swift retaliation as the anniversary of an American drone attack that killed one of the top military leaders approaches of Tehran.
“No one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack,” said United States military commander for the Middle East, General Frank McKenzie, on Wednesday.
Calls from Iran-backed militias for violence against Americans increased in the race until January 3, the day last year when Major General Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi paramilitary commander with him were killed as they left Baghdad airport.
On Thursday, a pro-Iranian Iraqi news group from the Telegram messaging service published a photo of the US embassy with the caption: “Always remember that I can see what you are doing.”
The US attack that killed General Soleimani and an Iranian counterattack against US forces with ballistic missiles heightened fears of an open war in the Middle East. Tensions have gradually eased, but Washington and Tehran remain at odds over Iran’s nuclear program and its support for foreign militias.
Last month – days after a flurry of rockets hit the Green Zone of Baghdad, home to foreign diplomatic missions – Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi dispatched a delegation to Tehran asking the local government to help stop the attacks, according to the Iraqi lawmaker Amer al-Fayez.
The delegation also conveyed the message that Washington will hold Iran responsible for any attack, according to an Iraqi government official.
The scene of the drone attack at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.
Photograph:
Press office of Iraqi Prime Minister / Associated Press
On Wednesday, the United States dispatched two B-52 bombers on a flight over the Middle East in a show of strength aimed at “anyone who intends to harm Americans or American interests,” according to the United States Central Command.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded on Twitter, saying: “Iran does not seek war, but will OPEN and DIRECTLY defend its people, security and vital interests.”
Iran-backed militias organized a series of events to mark the drone attack last year. In recent days, new billboards have been placed along the airport road, renaming it “Rua do Mártir Al Mohandes”, in honor of the militia commander who was killed alongside General Soleimani.
On Sunday, a demonstration is planned in central Baghdad to demand that American troops leave the country.
A year ago, militiamen and supporters violated the outside perimeter of the United States Embassy after a vigil to protest the deaths of more than two dozen combatants in a United States air strike. The attack followed the death of an American contractor in a rocket attack on a base that hosted coalition troops in northern Iraq.
Security forces have increased their presence on the streets of Baghdad in recent days, especially in and around the Green Zone, according to Iraqi security officials.
The United States reduced its footprint in Iraq last year, abandoning smaller, isolated outposts and reducing the number of soldiers to about 3,000. It also prepared to close the embassy in Baghdad, unless the Iraqi government takes steps to prevent militia attacks.
Rocket attacks on the embassy and bases that house American troops have increased as the war against the Islamic State has subsided and the Trump administration has stepped up pressure on Iran. Militias have also taken responsibility for attacks in the past few months on Iraqi trains. who were transporting supplies to US-led coalition forces.
Write to Isabel Coles at [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8