According to Iranian state TV, the attacks were in revenge for the killing of the commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, General QasemSoleimani, in a US drone strike on Friday.
Iranian state television claimed that at least 80 American were killed in attacks involving 22 missiles attack, adding that none of the missiles were intercepted.
The attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase came after pro-Tehran factions in Iraq had vowed to join forces to “respond” to an American drone strike that killed Iranian general and Iraqi top commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad last week.
White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said that President Donald Trump has been briefed on reports of the attack on U.S. facilities in Iraq and is monitoring the situation. In the wake of these events, US has also restricted its aircrafts from flying over Iraq, Iran, Persian Gulf.
We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.
Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, in a statement said that at approximately 5:30 pm local time on January seven which is 4:30 in the morning according to IST, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missile against U.S Military and coalition forces in Iraq.
Hoffman said that it is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil. He further said that US is working on initial battle damage assessment.
Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif in a tweet said that Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. He said Iran do not seek escalation or war, but will defend against any aggression.
Meanwhile the slain military leader Gen Sulaimani was buried in his hometown in Kerman amid a sea of crowd. Yesterday more than 50 mourners died in the stampede during funeral procession.
In the wake of U.S airbases attacked by Iranian missiles, United States President Donald Trump has tweeted, and I quote,” All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”
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