Tehran
The Iraqi military on Wednesday said there were no casualties among its troops as a result of an Iranian missile strike at bases in Iraq used by US forces. The military said in a statement carried by the state news agency that the attack lasted half an hour, starting at 1:45am local time.
The statement said 22 missiles were fired. Seventeen missiles hit Al-Asad air base, including two that did not explode in the Hitan area west of the town of Hit. Five other missiles hit the northern region of Erbil.
Iran struck back at the United States on Wednesday for the killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, in a major escalation that brought the two longtime foes closer to war. A US official said there were no immediate reports of American casualties, but buildings were being searched.
President Donald Trump said he would make a statement on the situation on Wednesday morning. ‘All is well!’ Trump said in a post on Twitter. 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! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, byTRUMP far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
An adviser to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted saying any adverse military actions by the US would be met with all-out war in the region. And a senior official in the Iranian supreme leader’s office said the missile attacks against the US targets were the weakest of Iran’s retaliation scenarios.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi called on all sides to practice self-restraint, adhere to international agreements, and respect Iraqi state. This dangerous crisis threatens a “devastating all-out war” in Iraq, the region, and the world, he added.
The Iranian army repeated earlier demands for the US to withdraw its troops from the Middle East, state TV reported. “Now that they have understood our power, it is time for the United States to withdraw its troops from the Middle East,” Iran’s armed forces chief of staff General Mohammad Baqeri said in a statement.
A top commander in Iraq’s Hashed Al-Shaabi paramilitary network said Wednesday it was time for an ‘Iraqi response’ to a US drone strike that killed the network’s deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
“That response will be no less than the size of the Iranian response. That is a promise,” Qais Al-Khazali, a hardline Hashed commander, threatened in a tweet. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, meanwhile, allayed fears of a possible shortage of oil supply, adding that OPEC would respond if necessary but ‘we have limitations as well’ to replace possible oil shortages. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday the US should withdraw from the region and said Tehran’s missile attacks on US targets in Iraq were “a slap on the face” for America.
“Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region,” Khamenei said in a televised speech, ruling out any resumption of talks with Washington about a 2015 nuclear deal.
