Several loud explosions were heard on Tuesday evening in Baghdad, with security sources confirming a drone and rocket attack targeting the United States Embassy in Baghdad.
According to witnesses and AFP journalists in the Iraqi capital, the blasts were caused by air defence systems intercepting incoming projectiles. One eyewitness reported seeing detonations in the sky as the embassy’s defence system responded to the attack.
Another resident observed a fire at the edge of the embassy grounds, which a security official said was triggered by a drone strike. The official, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that both drones and rockets were used in the assault.
In a related development, another drone targeting a US diplomatic and logistics centre near Baghdad International Airport was successfully intercepted and shot down.
Shortly after the incidents, the Iran-backed militia group Kataeb Hezbollah issued a statement calling for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq.
The group’s security chief, Abou Moujahed al-Assaf, blamed the ongoing instability in Iraq on what he described as “malicious American presence.”
“Iraq’s instability is due to the malicious American presence, and security will not be achieved until the last foreign soldier leaves Iraqi territory,” he said, adding, “Either everyone enjoys security, or no one does.”
Iraq has long been a proxy battleground involving the United States and Iran, with both sides backing opposing groups in the region. The country has increasingly been drawn into broader Middle East tensions, with frequent exchanges between US forces and Iran-aligned militias.
In recent days, multiple attacks have been reported against US interests in Iraq, including strikes on the embassy and a drone incident involving a luxury hotel popular with foreign diplomats.
