Iran fired missiles at two US military targets in Iraq Tuesday night in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s decision last week to kill Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite military and intelligence force.
Iran attacks 2 US military targets in Iraq: What we know so far
This was in retaliation for the US killing Qassem Soleimani. Trump said “All is well!” and no casualties have been reported so far.
The Revolutionary Guard Corps, a part of Iran’s military in which Soleimani was a leading figure, claimed responsibility for the attack, and top-level Iranian officials boasted about the strikes. For days, Iranian leaders signaled that they would strike US military targets in response to Soleimani’s killing, and it certainly seems like this was that strike. It’s unclear if there are more to come in the next few days or weeks.
A spokesperson for US Central Command told me that Iran fired 15 missiles: Ten struck al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, Iraq; one struck Erbil in northern Iraq; and four failed. David Cloud of the Los Angeles Times reports that the US was able to track the launches with radar, giving personnel time to take cover. Unnamed Iraqi military officials told the New York Times that Iran launched 22 missiles.
A White House official told me Tuesday night that there were no American casualties, although the Pentagon has yet to officially say whether or not Americans were killed. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi released a statement on Wednesday saying no Iraqis were killed.
CNN reports that some Trump administration officials believe Iran purposefully missed areas with Americans, but there is no official confirmation on that yet.
Trump seems unbothered by what happened, tweeting hours after the attack that “All is well!” He plans to make a statement sometime on Wednesday morning.
It’s important to note that Iran doesn’t have missiles that can reach the US mainland from Iran, nor does it have a nuclear weapon. It’s why Iran uses proxies and weapons at its disposal mainly to strike US targets and American allies in the Middle East.
There’s a chance for de-escalation, as Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in a tweeted statement that “Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defense.” Concluded is an important word, signaling that Iran may be done.
However, Iran has threatened to attack inside the US if America responds specifically to this assault — which means an Iranian strike inside the US isn’t imminent. Iran has also vowed to attack the cities of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Haifa in Israel if Iranian soil is bombed.
There’s more: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his nation’s final act will be to get all US forces out of the region. It’s unclear if that means using military force to compel US troops to leave or work with political allies, especially in Baghdad, to have the US military leave.
And Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted Wednesday morning that Iran may take further action.
Planet Labs has released an image of Al-Asad airbase showing extensive damage to some of the installation’s buildings.
The story is still developing, but here’s what we do and don’t know so far. We will continue to update this article as we learn more.
What we know
- A US Central Command spokesperson told me that Iran fired 15 missiles, four of which failed to hit their target. Ten struck al-Asad airbase and one struck Erbil. Iraqi officials say Iran launched 22 missiles.
- A White House official told me there are no American casualties, and Iraq’s prime minister said no Iraqis died. The Pentagon has yet to confirm if there were any US deaths.
- Iran has threatened to attack inside the US if America retaliates to this specific assault. Iran has also vowed to attack the cities of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Haifa in Israel if Iranian soil is bombed.
- The FAA has barred US airlines from flying over Iraq and Iran.
What we don’t know
- If anyone has been confirmed by the US government as injured or killed.
- What Trump will say in his Wednesday morning statement.
