A rocket strike at an army base in Iraq has injured at least five US soldiers as tensions over a potential Middle East conflict rise. According to two Iraqi authorities, two Katyusha rockets were fired against the al-Asad airfield located in western Iraq. According to an insider in Iraqi security, the missiles dropped in the facility.
The incident comes after two prominent Hezbollah commanders were slain last week in alleged Israeli attacks in Iran, while the leading political figure for Hamas was killed in Lebanon. However, it was unclear if Iran’s promises to respond for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had anything to do with the strike. Reportedly, one of the US military forces has suffered critical injuries .The soldiers at the al-Asad air station are still evaluating the harm done.
According to a State Department official on Monday, the US has increased diplomatic attempts and is advising Iran not to escalate the situation in the area by utilizing a variety of channels and implying that doing so is not in their best interests. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Washington was “engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much around the clock” in order to reduce tensions.
He added that everyone needs to do their share to reduce hostilities. Nobody benefits from an increase in intensity. It will only result in more hostilities, violence, and instability.
Iran Has Promised to Retaliate Haniyeh’s Murder
Iran threatened to “punish” Israel after Haniyeh was killed in Tehran last week. So far, Israel has not acknowledged that they killed the victim. Iran supports both the Lebanese organization Hezbollah, whose top military leader Fuad Shukr was murdered in an Israeli raid last week, and Hamas, which is at war with Israel in Gaza. Following Haniyeh’s death, Mr. Blinken urged the parties to reach an agreement on a truce in the Gaza war and cut this round of bloodshed. Haniyeh was an essential participant in the discussions between Israel and Hamas.
According to the White House, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received a briefing on the Middle East from their national security team. This included information on the risks that Iran and its proxies represent to Israel and US military members. In response to threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah, the Pentagon said that it will send more fighter planes and naval vessels to the Middle East.
Recently the US has been keeping a close eye on Iran in an attempt to follow through on its promise to avenge the death of Haniyeh, who was one of several high-ranking members of the Palestinian, and occurred in Tehran.
Iraq is home to 2,500 US soldiers. After the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in October, it has seen an increase in petty attacks. The US has turned to Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani in an attempt to lower regional tensions by persuading Iran to moderate its response.
