The US killed several leaders of the pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah in a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq.
The strike was a response to a suicide drone attack by the same group on a US base in Jordan, which killed three US soldiers.
The strike angered the supporters of the militia and Iran, who protested outside the US embassy in Baghdad and tried to break into the compound. Iraqi security forces blocked the roads and fired tear gas to stop them.
The US embassy condemned the attack and said the strike was a defensive action to prevent future Iranian attacks. The US State Department said the embassy staff were safe and there was no plan to evacuate them.
The Iraqi government said the strike was a dangerous escalation and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. It called for dialogue and restraint to avoid more violence.
The Iraqi parliament had already passed a resolution in January 2020, asking for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq, after a previous US strike that killed Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and another militia leader near Baghdad airport.
The Iranian government also condemned the strike and vowed to avenge the deaths of its allies. It said the US was responsible for the consequences of its rogue adventurism.
The strike increased the tensions between the US and Iran in the Middle East, which have been high since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Iran.
The US and Iran have accused each other of being behind several attacks on their targets in the region, and have warned that they are ready to defend themselves and their allies.
The US strike on the militia leaders in Baghdad has sparked a new crisis in Iraq and the region, with uncertain and potentially dangerous consequences.
