American troops in Iraq have been attacked by armed groups supported by Iran, only hours after Tehran threatened retaliation and accused Israel of a fatal assault on a facility holding its special forces in Damascus, Syria's capital. This has stoked worries of a wider regional battle.
Ballistic missiles attacked Iraq's Al-Asad Air Base on Saturday, January 20, injuring US servicemen, according to officials from United States Central Command (CENTCOM), as reported by CNN. This happened only hours after Tehran threatened retribution against Israel for its offensive on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Syria.
The number of wounded soldiers was not immediately apparent. However, authorities said that the assault caused minor injuries.
In a statement of CENTCOM via X, it said: "Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched by Iranian-backed militants in western Iraq targeting al-Assad Airbase."
The statement added that although the facility's air defense systems managed to intercept most of the missiles, a few succeeded in landing on the base.
Targeting US Troops in Iraq, Syria
Following Israel's military incursion last October, which Washington has militarily supported, attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria have escalated. Israeli operations against armed organizations in Syria and Lebanon with ties to Iran have intensified since the war began in the Gaza Strip.
Supporters of the Palestinian cause in Gaza, the Houthis of Yemen, who are part of the "axis of resistance" sponsored by Tehran, have disrupted one of the world's busiest shipping lanes by attacking vessels associated with and towards Israel in the Red Sea. The Houthis have called on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and enable the entry of humanitarian supplies, including food, medication, and water.
The risk of Israel's attack on Gaza escalating has been highlighted by Jordan's foreign minister, Ayman Safadi. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said: "If Israel continues to ramp up its attacks on other fronts and if it drags the West in, we'll be looking at a very, very serious escalation of the conflict."
Ongoing Attacks That May Escalate Conflict
Israel and the US have intensified their airstrikes on organizations associated with Iran, which might lead to a regional war between the Israel-US combined force and Iran and its allies.
Israeli failure to fulfill its military objectives in Gaza is, according to University of Tehran professor Hassan Ahmadian, intensifying the war. He added that Israelis have intensified their previous actions, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been outspoken in his support of demands for a crisis.
He said that Israel is increasing its assaults in response to threats from Iran and its regional supporters but that many of these organizations are really aligned with the "axis of resistance" and are acting in their own self-interest.
