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In one of the most intense assaults on American diplomatic infrastructure in recent memory, rockets and at least five drones targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday morning, according to Iraqi security sources. The attack marks a dangerous escalation in the ongoing regional conflict stemming from the U.S.-Israel war with Iran that began on February 28.
A Reuters journalist on the ground witnessed at least three unmanned aerial vehicles moving in the direction of the embassy. The compound's C-RAM air defense system successfully intercepted two of the incoming drones, but a third breached the perimeter and struck inside the embassy grounds. Flames and smoke were seen rising from within the fortified facility. A separate Reuters witness confirmed hearing a powerful explosion echo across the Iraqi capital.
Attempts to reach U.S. embassy officials for comment were unsuccessful, as mobile phones connected to the embassy went unanswered at the time of contact.
Iran-backed militant factions have claimed responsibility for a series of retaliatory strikes against American interests throughout Iraq since hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran erupted earlier this year. The latest assault comes just a day after Iran-aligned group Kataib Hezbollah announced the death of a senior commander and spokesperson. Separately, the Popular Mobilization Forces reported that airstrikes killed at least eight of its fighters in al-Qaim, an Iraqi town situated near the Syrian border.
In response to the deteriorating security conditions, Iraqi forces have been deployed across multiple sectors of Baghdad. Authorities have also shut down the heavily fortified Green Zone, the high-security district that houses key government institutions and foreign diplomatic missions, including the American embassy.
The incident underscores the volatile and rapidly shifting security landscape across the Middle East as regional tensions continue to intensify.
