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‘Dangerous escalation’ – 7 US soldiers wounded in missile attack

An Iran-linked militia fired at least two Katyusha rockets on American military base in Iraq, wounding at least seven.

By World Israel News Staff

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant shortly after a missile attack on a U.S. Air Force base in Iraq wounded at east seven servicemen, calling the assault a “dangerous escalation” amid rising tensions in the region.

According to a Reuters report, at least two Katyusha rockets were fired on the Al Asad base in the early hours of Tuesday morning, seriously wounding at least one.

While no group officially took responsibility for the attack overnight Monday, similar assaults have been carried out by Iran’s proxy militias in the past.

Washington is operating under the assumption that the attack was ordered by the Islamic Republic.

“Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant agreed that today’s Iran-aligned militia attack on U.S. forces stationed at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq marked a dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran’s destabilizing role in the region,” read a statement from the Pentagon.

During the call, the summary said, Austin reiterated to Gallant the “unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel’s security in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned militia groups.”

Israel is girding for an expected retaliatory strike by Iran, after the assassination of Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

Notably, Iran has said that they find both Israel and the U.S. responsible for the slaying.

Tehran has claimed that Washington had advanced knowledge of the attack, though they have not provided evidence to support that claim.

The White House said it was not informed of Haniyeh’s assassination in advance and denied that it had provided intelligence to assist in his killing.

In January 2024, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-linked group, fired rockets on a U.S. army base in Jordan.

That attack killed three soldiers and wounded dozens more.

Kataib Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, has said they will target American military assets in Iraq until the U.S. completely withdraws from the country.