U.S. President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and threatened a military response if any Americans were killed.
In Sunday’s attack, a volley of rockets hit the U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s strong Green Zone, Iraqi military said, raising fears of renewed unrest.
An Iraqi military statement said a “banned group” launched eight rockets hitting the Green Zone, injuring one Iraqi security official, damaging cars and a residential building.
“Our embassy in Baghdad was hit on Sunday by several rockets,” Trump said on Twitter, referring to an attack that did damage but did not die. “Guess where they came from: IRAN,” he said.
“Now we will hear chats about further attacks on Americans in Iraq… Some friendly health advice for Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran accountable. Think about it, ”Trump said.
Our embassy in Baghdad was hit by Sunday with several rockets. Three rockets were not launched. Guess where they came from: IRAN. Now let’s hear a discussion about further attacks on Americans in Iraq… pic.twitter.com/0OCL6IFp5M
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 December 2020
In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet sent to Trump: “Putting your own citizens at risk abroad will not distract you from a catastrophic failure at home.”
He posted images of Trump’s previous six tweets, from when Barack Obama was president, side by side.
In all of them, Trump said Obama would start a war with Iran to win re-election.
Putting your own citizens at risk abroad will not distract you from catastrophic failure at home.
In your own words @realDonaldTrump: pic.twitter.com/kbtL8GWLHm
– Javad Zarif (@JZarif) 24 December 2020
Iran’s foreign ministry also criticized the U.S. allegations, saying they came under the guise of “repetitive, unfounded and manipulative claims” aimed at resolving “Trump’s plight.”
“As has been mentioned several times before, attacks on diplomatic and residential areas have been repulsed,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh.
“In this particular situation, the allegations are with the U.S. itself and its allies in the region which has escalated tensions.”
Khatibzadeh advised Trump to use “more believable situations” and refrain from “dangerous daring” in his final days in the White House.
We strongly refuse @SecPompeoreckless reckless#Iran accusations, which are clearly aimed at creating tension.
Iran rejects any attack on diplomatic missions.
The U.S. military presence is a source of instability in our region. No amount of spinning can blame him for the evil.
– Saeed Khatibzadeh (@SKhatibzadeh) 21 December 2020
The White House is more concerned about what Iranian-backed forces in Iraq could do up to the anniversary of January 3 from the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
In the wake of Sunday’s rocket attack, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien met at the White House on Wednesday to prepare a “range of options” for the president. is aimed at preventing further attacks, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters news agency.
“Each one is designed to be non-escalatory and to prevent further attack,” the official said.
The aim of the White House meeting was “to develop the right set of options that we can present to the president to ensure that we stop Iranian and Shia militias in Iraq from organized attacks on our workers, “the official said.
In a statement, the U.S. Supreme Command said a December 20 rocket attack on the Green Zone in Baghdad had been “almost certainly done” by Iranian-backed militias.
“The United States will hold Iran accountable for any American deaths resulting from the work of these fraudulent militias backed by Iran,” said Central Command officials, Naval Captain Bill Urban.
Separately, the Axios news service reported Tuesday that the Trump administration is hastily considering closing the U.S. embassy in Baghdad as a prelude to a response, citing sources familiar with the debate.
Iraqi Ambassador Matthew Tueller, a diplomatic diplomat, could be transferred to Erbil, in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, or to Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq.
Several militia groups announced in October that they had stopped rocket attacks on U.S. forces on the condition that the Iraqi government present a timetable for evacuating American troops from the country.
The U.S. is gradually reducing its 5,000 troops in Iraq. But a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy on November 18 signaled that Iranian-backed militias had decided to re-launch attacks on U.S. bases, according to Iraqi security officials.
In this file photo from January 2020, members of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq are holding a picture of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani [File: Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters]
Following the attack, replacing Soleimani, Force Quds General Esmail Qaani traveled to Baghdad to instruct Iraqi groups to stop attacks on U.S. targets.
“Qaani has made it clear that Trump wants to drag the region into an open war before he leaves, to take revenge on his opponents for losing the election, and it is not good for us to have any justification. to start such a war, “a Shia faction director told the Middle East Eye news agency.
The Trump administration in recent weeks has imposed additional economic sanctions on Iran and the U.S. has also increased its military presence in the Gulf region.
The U.S. Navy announced a nuclear submarine, the USS Georgia, introduced by two guided missiles, was moving the Hormuz Strait to the Gulf on December 21st.
The Navy did not outline his mission but the submarine is equipped with sea missiles and has a Navy SEAL special forces team.
Over the past month, the Pentagon has ordered a series of long missions of B-52 bombers from the U.S. to the Gulf region in a deliberate force demonstration.
The US sent the USS Nimitz into the Gulf at the end of November after Iran swore revenge on the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.