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Iran launches missile attack against US forces inside Iraq

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Iran struck back at the United States on Wednesday over the death of General Qassam Soleimani in a drone strike with missile attacks at two bases in Iraq which host American soldiers.

Iranian state TV reported that at least 80 US soldiers were killed in the attacks on bases near Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, and in the Ain Assad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province. But the Pentagon claimed there were no American casualties.

France, Germany, Poland, Denmark and Finland all announced that none of their nationals were killed.

Ain Assad was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later during the fight against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.

Germany and the UK condemned the missile strike on Wednesday. German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the government “rejects this aggression in the sharpest possible terms”. China also warned against a military escalation in the Middle East.

Speaking on Wednesday, Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameini described the attack on bases in Iraq as a “slap in the face” that were “not sufficient” retaliation for the death of General Soleimani.

In a speech regularly interrupted by cries of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in Qom, he said that governments and people “do not approve” of U.S. presence the Middle East.

“America is the enemy, you know this very well,” he said.

In a further tribute to Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike January 3, he described the general as a “great martyr” and a “kind brother”.

“His martyrdom means that our revolution is alive. There are some people who want to pretend that the revolution has died in Iran. His martyrdom indicates the fact that the revolution is alive.”

Later, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would seek to “force America out of this region”.

“The real revenge and the ultimate response by regional nations is when America is expelled from this region and its hand of aggression is cut off forever.”

But while the attack wlll serve to increase tensions in the region following the death of Soleimani, experts told Euronews that it was unlikely to lead to all-out war between Iran and the U.S.

“By striking so quickly and overtly, while also sending the message that Iran “does not want war,” I think Tehran wants to swiftly close the door to any further escalation, rather than letting tensions linger for months,” said Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at LeBeck International in Bahrain.

“The ball is in Trump’s court. Going by his response to the attack (stating that “all is well”), and given that there were no US casualties, I think there is a higher chance that the US will not respond in an escalatory manner – but Trump has also proven to extremely unpredictable.”

And defence analyst Paul Beaver told Good Morning Europe that last night’s events might lead to the “opening stages of a non military response” rather than an escalation of war from both sides.

European reaction

Speaking on Wednesday during a trip to London, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU would strive to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S. and European powers, which was signed by President Barack Obama but abandoned under President Donald Trump.

Von der Leyen also reiterated the need to de-escalate the tension in the region, especially after Iran’s missile attack on two American bases in response to a U.S. strike that killed its top general.

“The use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue,” she said. “We are called upon to do everything possible to rekindle talks. There cannot be enough of that.”

Her foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Brussels for talks, but a date for his visit has yet to be set amid a frenzy of diplomatic activities. The EU foreign ministers have organised a special meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing crisis.

Iran’s most direct assault on U.S. since 1979

It was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the U.S. killing of Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted angry calls to avenge his slaying.

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeted shortly after the rocket launch, saying that the action were “measures in self-defense” under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He added that Iran does “not seek escalation.”

The strikes, which came as Iran buried Soleimani, raised fears that the two longtime foes were closer to war. But there were some indications that there would not be further retaliation on either side, at least in the short term.

‘All is well!’ President Trump tweeted shortly after the missile attacks, adding, ‘So far, so good’ regarding casualties.

Moments earlier, Iran’s foreign minister tweeted that Tehran had taken “& concluded proportionate measures in self-defence,” adding that Tehran did “not seek escalation” but would defend itself against further aggression.

Iran initially announced only one missile strike, but U.S. officials confirmed both. U.S. defence officials were at the White House, likely to discuss options with Trump, who launched the attack on Soleimani while facing an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

“We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” the Guard said. It also threatened Israel.

After the strikes, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator posted a picture of the Islamic Republic’s flag on Twitter, appearing to mimic Trump who posted an American flag following the killing of Soleimani and others Friday.

Ain al-Asad airbase was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. It houses about 1,500 U.S. and coalition forces. The U.S. also acknowledged another missile attack targeting a base in Erbil in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region.

The Iranians fired a total of 15 missiles, two U.S. officials said. Ten hit Ain al-Asad and one the base in Irbil. Four failed, said the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about a military operation.

Two Iraqi security officials said at least one of the missiles appeared to have struck a plane at the Ain al-Asad base, igniting a fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the attacks, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they had no permission to brief journalists.

About 70 Norwegian troops also were on the airbase but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces told The Associated Press.

Trump visited the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase, about 100 miles or 60 kilometres west of Baghdad, in December 2018, making his first presidential visit to troops in the region. Vice President Mike Pence also has visited the base.

“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners and allies in the region,” said Jonathan Hoffman, an assistant to the U.S. defence secretary.

Wednesday’s revenge attack happened a mere few hours after crowds in Iran mourned Soleimani at his funeral. It also came the U.S. continued to reinforce its own positions in the region and warned of an unspecified threat to shipping from Iran in the region’s waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies. U.S. embassies and consulates from Asia to Africa and Europe issued security alerts for Americans. The FAA also warned of a “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” for civilian aircraft in the Persian Gulf amid in an emergency flight restriction.

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