Iran fired a series of missiles at two U.S.-Iraqi airbases early Wednesday morning Baghdad time, the Pentagon said, in the first Iranian response to the killing of General Qassem Soleimani by American forces last week.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier claimed responsibility for the barrage, which the Pentagon said was launched from Iran. A total of 15 missiles were launched, 10 of which hit the Ayn al-Asad base in western Iraq and another facility in Erbil, according to two U.S. officials. Another struck the Taji air base near Baghdad while four fell out of the sky.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the government “concluded proportionate measures in self-defense” after the Soleimani strike.
“We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,” Zarif wrote.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether there were fatalities or major damage from the attacks, but President Donald Trump tweeted “All is well!” and “So far, so good!” while adding that battle damage assessments continued. He added that he’ll make a statement Wednesday morning.
The attack roiled financial markets anew, sending futures on the S&P 500 Index down as much as 1.7% before paring losses. Gold initially advanced to the highest since 2013, though those gains were trimmed along with an advance in oil which at one point surged above $65 a barrel.
A missile attack from Iran against U.S. forces is a serious escalation,” said Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former senior director for Middle East affairs under President George W. Bush. Such an attack “cannot be regarded as merely symbolic or face-saving regardless of its results,” he added.
“The scope of the U.S. response could depend heavily on the damage and whether any Americans were killed or injured in the strikes. Trump has shown restraint in previous attacks in the region blamed on Iran that didn’t kill any U.S. citizens, but Iran’s quick claim of responsibility for the strike and the targeting of U.S. military outposts make some sort of retaliation more likely.
“The next question is, does the U.S. react or overreact to this,” said Jarrett Blanc, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation.
The Defense Department said the bases had already been on high alert given soaring tensions over the past two weeks. Iran is believed to have the region’s largest stockpile of short-range ballistic missiles and a large number of American military and diplomatic facilities in the region were seen as potential targets for reprisals.
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region,” according to a Pentagon statement.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in a closed-door meeting with fellow Democrats when she was handed a note about the attack as the lawmakers were discussing Trump’s impeachment. She left the room after telling her colleagues to “pray,” Representative Debbie Dingell said.
