The Iraqi government strongly condemned the air strikes carried out by the United States military on its territory, labeling them as “hostile acts.” The Pentagon had reported that the strikes targeted locations utilized by pro-Iran forces to threaten US forces.
According to the government in Baghdad, the US strikes resulted in the death of one member of the Iraqi security forces and left 18 people injured, including civilians. On Tuesday, officials declared these actions as an “unacceptable attack on Iraqi sovereignty” and expressed concern that they would “harm bilateral relations” between Iraq and the United States.
Launched in the early hours of Tuesday, the US air strikes specifically targeted three sites utilized by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia armed group, and its affiliated entities, as stated by Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council. The Iraqi government
These strikes were a direct response to a previous attack by Kataib Hezbollah on the Erbil airbase the day before, resulting in injuries to three US service members, one of whom was critically wounded, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Austin characterized the subsequent air strikes as “necessary and proportionate,” with the goal of disrupting and degrading the capabilities of Iran-aligned groups responsible for carrying out attacks against US personnel.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated, “While we do not seek to escalate the conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.” This reflects a stance of readiness to respond to potential threats and a determination to safeguard the well-being of US personnel and installations in the region.
US forces have repeatedly targeted sites used by Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq and Syria in response to dozens of attacks on American and allied forces in the region since the October 7 outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian war.