A significant U.S. diplomatic installation in Baghdad was reportedly hit by a drone on Tuesday, an incident suspected to be a retaliatory action by pro-Iranian militias, as reported by The Washington Post.
The newspaper indicated that the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center was the target of the strike, with no immediate reports of casualties.
Out of six drones launched at the complex, five were intercepted.
Citing a security official and a State Department alert, The Post detailed that one drone impacted close to a guard tower, prompting personnel at the facility to be advised to “duck and cover.”
The alert stated that “Accountability is ongoing.”
Iraq’s defense ministry, in a post on X, denounced drone and missile assaults on the Martyr Muhammad Alaa Air Base and the Martyr Ali Fallah Air Base, though it made no direct reference to the strike on the U.S. facility or to Iran.
The government account elaborated, asserting: “In response to these sinful aggressions, the Ministry wishes to clarify and confirm the following facts: These air bases are fully sovereign and Iraqi, subject entirely to the authority of the state and the law, and there is no representation of any foreign forces in them under any designation.”
According to the security official who spoke to The Washington Post, the assault was probably carried out by militias linked to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an informal coalition of Iran-backed Shiite armed groups that have previously taken credit for targeting U.S. forces in the area.
When Operation Epic Fury commenced, the State Department had advised U.S. citizens to promptly leave over a dozen Middle Eastern nations, cautioning about “serious safety risks” as the conflict involving Iran escalated.
On March 2, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar recommended that U.S. citizens evacuate Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The department specified that Americans requiring assistance with commercial travel arrangements for departure can reach the State Department around the clock at +1-202-501-4444 when calling from overseas, or at +1-888-407-4747 from within the U.S. and Canada.
Officials cautioned that regional conditions remain unstable, with security situations potentially shifting rapidly as conflict-related hostilities persist.
Upon the initiation of Iran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. forces and Israel, a minimum of nine U.S. missions, encompassing those in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, and Israel, issued multiple shelter-in-place orders or recommendations.