At least five US personnel were injured in an attack on al Asad airbase in western Iraq on Monday, according to US officials. The attack comes as the Middle East braces for potential new waves of violence following the recent assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures.
Two Katyusha rockets were fired at the base, with one Iraqi security source confirming that the rockets landed inside the compound. The link between this attack and Iran’s threats of retaliation over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh remains unclear. “Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment,” a US official said, noting that one of the injured Americans is in serious condition.
The assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran last week has drawn sharp threats of revenge from Iran, which holds Israel responsible. Compounding the tension, Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander of Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. These incidents have heightened fears that the conflict in Gaza could escalate into a broader regional war.
Iran has accused the US of bearing responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination due to its support for Israel. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant described the attack on the base as “a dangerous escalation” in a call on Monday, according to a Pentagon readout.
In response to escalating threats, the US has announced the deployment of additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster defences. Last week, US forces conducted a strike in Iraq against militants preparing to launch drones, which were deemed a threat to US and coalition forces.
Iraq, a rare ally of both the US and Iran, hosts approximately 2,500 US troops and has Iran-backed militias within its security forces. The country has seen a series of escalating tit-for-tat attacks since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. Baghdad is negotiating a gradual withdrawal of US-led coalition troops, aiming to end the coalition’s mission by September 2025, though some US forces are expected to remain in an advisory role.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani discussed regional tensions with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Sunday, with Blinken urging al-Sudani to help reduce tensions by influencing Iran to temper its responses. Meanwhile, US Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of US Central Command, is in the Middle East coordinating with allies to prepare for possible Iranian attacks against Israel.
As the situation remains volatile, the international community watches closely, wary of further escalations that could engulf the region in more widespread conflict.
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