Eight rockets struck the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Sunday evening, Iraq's military confirmed. The attack injured one Iraqi security personnel at a checkpoint and caused material damage to a residential complex and several cars, though the complex was reportedly empty. The embassy's C-RAM defence system, designed to intercept missiles mid-air, was activated to deflect the assault.
The US Embassy confirmed that the rockets targeted the International Zone, triggering the defensive systems. Minor damage was sustained to the embassy compound. In a statement, the embassy urged Iraqi political and governmental leaders to prevent such attacks and hold those responsible accountable. The thundering sound of the C-RAM system was heard by Associated Press reporters across the Tigris River.
The attack comes ahead of the first anniversary of the US-directed killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on 3 January. The US had recently reduced embassy staff in Baghdad, citing concerns about potential retaliatory strikes. The killing sparked outrage in Iraq and led parliament to pass a non-binding resolution calling for the expulsion of foreign troops.
Iran-backed militia groups have been blamed for a series of rocket attacks that have frustrated the Trump administration. In September, Washington warned Iraq it would close its embassy if decisive action was not taken to end such attacks. The partial withdrawal coincides with a broader drawdown of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, with numbers set to reduce from 3,000 to 2,500 by mid-January.
