On Saturday evening, the United States Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a rocket attack using Katyusha launch systems. This incident marks a significant escalation in hostilities against American diplomatic facilities in Iraq.
Witnesses reported hearing explosions around 9 PM local time, prompting sirens to sound and urging individuals to seek shelter. Iraqi security sources confirmed that a high-ranking official stated the American C-RAM air defense system intercepted one of the rockets, ensuring that no projectiles landed directly on embassy grounds. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries among American citizens.
The Prime Minister of Iraq has ordered security forces to locate those responsible for the attack, labeling the assailants as a “criminal group acting outside the law and not representing the will of the Iraqi people.” This incident is notable as it is the first attack on the US embassy in over two years, with the last recorded incident occurring in late 2023 when several mortar shells hit the embassy during a series of assaults by Iran-backed militias on American sites in Iraq and Syria.
Security analysts suggest that this attack reflects a broader strategy by Iraqi militias aligned with Iran, who have vowed to retaliate for the assassination of a top Iranian leader. These groups appear to be expanding their targets to include not only US military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan and energy facilities but also the US embassy itself.
The US Embassy in Baghdad was targeted by a rocket attack on Saturday, marking the first such incident in over two years. Iraqi officials have condemned the attack and initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, who are believed to be aligned with Iran.
Source: Reuters