Breaking: Iran fires missiles into US military base in Iraq

Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Tuesday. Though the extent of the damage caused by the attack is not clear, the move appeared likely to further escalate already boiling tensions between Iran and Washington.

“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” Hoffman said. “We are working on initial battle damage assessments.”

“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,” Hoffman added .

President Donald Trump was briefed on the attacks, the White House said.

“The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal late Tuesday emerged from a classified briefing from Department of Homeland Security officials on threats posed by Iran. The concerns should be made public, he said.

“I found it pretty sobering,” the Connecticut Democrat said.

Iranian state TV reported that Tehran launched surface-to-surface missiles at Iraq’s Ain Assad air base in response to a U.S. drone strike last week that killed Soleimani.

At a time when both Trump and Iranian officials have threatened reprisals, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack. 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. The statement also threatened Israel, America’s closest ally in the region.

Ain Assad air base is in Iraq’s western Anbar province. It was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. It later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

State TV said the operation’s name was “Martyr Soleimani.” It said the Guard’s aerospace division that controls Iran’s missile program launched the attack. Iran said it would release more information later.