The United States Department of Defense has confirmed reports of a missile attack on a US military base in Iraq. On Monday, the al-Assad air base, located in western Iraq, was targeted by a missile strike.
According to Reuters, citing US officials, at least five American soldiers were wounded in the attack. Iraqi security sources reported that two Katyusha rockets were used in the assault.
Since the fall of 2023, attacks on US forces in Iraq have intensified, particularly following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and the radical Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The United States attributed these attacks to groups with ties to Iran and has conducted several retaliatory operations. Currently, over 2,000 American troops are stationed in Iraq, assisting local forces in the fight against the extremist group Islamic State.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack in a statement referencing the Monday conversation between the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said that both Austin and Gallant viewed the attack by Iranian-backed forces on al-Assad base as a dangerous escalation, underscoring Iran’s role as a destabilizing force in the region.
During the conversation, Austin reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Israel, which faces threats from Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and other groups linked to Tehran. Tensions escalated further after Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, was killed in Tehran on July 31. Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the assassination, with Iran threatening retaliatory measures.
On July 30, the Israeli military bombed Hezbollah positions near Beirut, Lebanon, announcing the killing of one of its commanders, Fouad Shukri. Hezbollah has since vowed to avenge his death. A few days earlier, on July 27, Israel accused Hezbollah of launching a rocket attack on Majdal-Shams in the Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of 12 teenagers and young men at a stadium.
In another development, on August 1, the Israeli army announced the killing of Mohammad Deif, head of Hamas’ military wing, in an airstrike on Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Deif was considered a key architect of last year’s Hamas attack in southern Israel, which left up to 1,200 people dead and over 250 taken hostage.
The October 7, 2023, attack prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas, leading to the worst humanitarian crisis and large-scale fighting in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian sources reported up to 40,000 fatalities.
