A spate of rockets targeted the US embassy in Baghdad in the early hours of Friday. Later in the day, a series of drones targeted the city of Erbil on two separate occasions, one hitting a residential building under-construction and another targeting US coalition bases near Erbil International Airport. The attacks did not result in any casualties.
“Iran-aligned militias threaten the security and stability of Iraq, our personnel, and our partners in the region,” a State Department spokesperson told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda via email.
US personnel in Iraq and Syria have come under a series of rocket, drone, and missile attacks since October 17 by Iran-backed militia groups condemning the American government’s unwavering support for Israel in its war against Gaza. Washington has repeatedly condemned the strikes, called on Baghdad to put a stop to them, and stated that it reserves the right to self-defense.
Soon after Friday’s strike on the US embassy, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani issued a directive to pursue the perpetrators of the attack and reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to protecting diplomatic missions in the country, but warned Washington against taking any direct response to the attacks without its approval.
“We expect PM Sudani’s government will take all possible steps to stop these attacks. Iran-aligned militias should not have free rein to do as they please in Iraq, a sovereign nation,” the State Department added.
Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), which once held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared territorially defeated in 2019.
