At least seven Americans wounded in Iran-backed Iraq attack: US defense official

At least seven Americans were wounded in Monday’s attack on a US base in Iraq, according to a US defense official.

“On [Aug. 5], at approximately 2 pm EST, two rockets impacted [Ain] al-Assad Airbase in Iraq. Five US servicemembers and two US contractors were injured in the attack,” the official said in a statement.

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Five of those wounded are being treated at the airbase and two have been evacuated for further care. But all are in stable condition, according to the official. “Post-strike assessments are still ongoing. We’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.”

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin attributed the attack to “Iran-aligned militias,” saying it marked a “dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran's destabilizing role in the region.”

Last week, the US military carried out an airstrike targeting combatants in Iraq attempting to launch one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWAUAS).

This came after Iran-backed militias resumed their attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria following a monthslong lull.

But based on those recent attacks it was assessed that the drones last week posed a threat to US and Coalition Forces. “We maintain the inherent right to self-defense and will not hesitate to take appropriate action,” a US defense official said last week.

The Iraqi government has been under pressure to reach a deal that would see the US withdraw its troops from the country, but it appears more likely that there will be a slightly smaller footprint with a new mission to support Iraqi security forces.

Ret. Gen. Joseph Votel, the former commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), previously told Al Arabiya English the attacks in Iraq were designed to put pressure on the Iraqi government, “which has taken a very deliberate approach to addressing the future of US forces in that country - which, of course, they (and Iran) want out.”

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