The Latest: Iran fires missiles at military base housing U.S. force in Iraq, Pentagon confirms

Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-08 15:55:34|Editor: huaxia

The latest on U.S.-Iran tensions:

Screenshot of Ayn al-Asad airbase in Iraq on the map.

10:24 am

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi military said Wednesday that no casualties were reported in the missile attacks earlier in the day against military bases housing U.S. troops.

According to a statement released by the media office affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, a total of 22 Iranian missiles were launched. Of them, 17 struck the Ayn al-Asad air base in Iraq's western province of Anbar, and five landed on the U.S. headquarters near the city of Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, the statement said.

7:50 am

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi military airbase, which houses U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

Ayn al-Asad airbase in al-Baghdadi area, some 190 km northwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, was pounded with more than 20 ballistic missiles before dawn, the source from the Iraqi army told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

There were no immediate reports about casualties, the source said, adding that sirens were heard inside the airbase, while U.S. helicopters flew over the area.

The Iranian attack came three days after the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and prevent them from using Iraqi airspace and waters.

On Friday, a U.S. drone attacked a convoy at Baghdad International Airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.

More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising for the Iraqi forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a signing ceremony for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Dec. 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

23:47 pm

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to downplay Iran's missile attack against U.S. forces in Iraq, while highlighting U.S. military strength at the same time.

"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!" Trump tweeted hours after Iran's military launched missiles targeting U.S. forces in Iraq.

"We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning," he added.

The Pentagon confirmed earlier that Iran had launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq.

"It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad & Irbil," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Pentagon also pointed out that it would take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.

U.S. media reported late Tuesday that there were no initial reports of any U.S. casualties caused by Iran's attack.

The missile attack came hours after Trump's latest warning to Iran earlier Tuesday.

"If Iran does anything that they shouldn't be doing, they're going to be suffering the consequences, and very strongly," Trump told reporters in the White House.

Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad airport on Friday, raising fears of an uncontrolled escalation in the region.

Commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami warned the United States on Tuesday that Iran would take "severe revenge" over its assassination of Soleimani.

People walk past a poster of senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 5, 2020. The latest confrontation between Tehran and Washington on Jan. 3, which led to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), has nurtured a risk that could lead to a war. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

7:17 am

TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday targeted U.S. bases in Iraq including Al-Asad and Harir Camp to the north of Erbil by the second wave of surface-to-surface missiles, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

According to the report, Iran launched a dozen of ballistic missiles.

IRGC claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement, saying that it was in retaliation for the recent killing of its Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani.

Fars News Agency reported that the missiles were probably of Fateh 313 type and they were launched from Iran's western Kermanshah Province.

Fateh 313 missiles are road-mobile single-stage solid-fueled surface-to-surface missile with a range of 500 km.

We warn all allied countries of the U.S. that they will be a target of military retaliation if attacks are launched from bases in their countries on Iran, according to the IRGC statement.

It urged Americans to recall all their soldiers back home to prevent more damage.

6:27 am

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran said Wednesday it has launched missile attack on the U.S. military base of al-Asad in Iraq's Anbar province following the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

"Tens of surface-to-surface missiles were fired at the strategic airbase," said Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in a statement carried by Iranian state TV.

The IRGC attack comes after Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on Friday.

A man holds a picture of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 3, 2020. An attack near Baghdad International Airport on Friday has killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhamdis, the deputy top leader of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

In the statement, the IRGC called for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, saying that it would not differentiate between the U.S. and Israel in retaliating the assassination of the Iranian national "hero."

"We in no way consider the Zionist regime (of Israel) to be separated from the criminal U.S. regime in these crimes," read the IRGC statement.

"We warn U.S. allies providing bases for the (American) terrorist army ... that any country serving as the origin of bellicose and aggressive attacks in any form against the Islamic Republic of Iran will be targeted," it said.

The IRGC warned the United States that "any new wicked act or more moves and aggressions (against Iran) will bring about more painful and crushing responses."

The IRGC further urged the American people to call for the return of U.S. forces from the region in order to prevent further losses and not to allow Washington put the lives of American troops at risk any more.

4:58 am

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi military airbase which houses U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar, an Iraqi provincial security source said.

Ayn al-Asad airbase in al-Baghdadi area, some 190 km northwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, was pounded with more than 20 ballistic missiles before dawn, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

There were no immediate reports about casualties, the source said.

The Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States, July 11, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

20:48 pm

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that Iran had launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq.

"At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq," the Pentagon said in a statement.

"It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad & Irbil," the statement added.

These bases have been on high alert due to indications that Iran planned to attack the U.S. forces and interests in the region, the statement noted.

The Pentagon also pointed out that it would take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the White House in Washington D.C. Dec. 19, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The White House said earlier that it had noticed the reports of attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq, saying that President Donald Trump is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.

The missile attack came hours after Trump's latest warning to Iran earlier in the same day.

"If Iran does anything that they shouldn't be doing, they're going to be suffering the consequences, and very strongly," Trump told reporters in the White House.

Commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami warned the United States on Tuesday that Iran would take "severe revenge" over its assassination of Soleimani.

The skyline in Baghdad, capital city of Iraq, Jan. 7, 2020. Baghdad is under the spotlight after Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Miao)

4:17 am

TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has fired "tens of surface-to-surface missiles" at the U.S. airbase in Anbar province in western Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Press TV reported Wednesday.

The IRGC has called for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Arab country and said that it would not differentiate between the United States and Israel in retaliation against the assassination of the Iranian general, according to the report.

Iran has vowed to take a "harsh revenge" for Soleimani's death. The IRGC said it would release more details about the strikes.

3:45 am

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran fired missiles Wednesday striking on Iraqi military airbase, which houses U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security source told Xinhua.

19:25 pm

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that Iran had launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq.

19:10 pm

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United States is monitoring reported rocket attack on the country's airbase in Iraq, the White House announced Tuesday.

"We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The president ... is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team," the White House said in a statement.

People hold posters during the funeral ceremony of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 6, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

3:37 am

3:29 am (Tehran time)

Breaking: Iran's IRGC attacks U.S. airbase in Iraq -- Press TV

18:59 pm (Washington time)

Breaking: U.S. monitoring reports of rocket attack on airbase in Iraq: White House

Breaking: Iraqi airbase housing U.S. troops under rocket attacks: Media ■