In the wake of a rocket attack that injured seven U.S. service members at the Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin declared on Tuesday that the United States “will not tolerate” any attacks on its forces in the Middle East.
Speaking at a press conference in Annapolis, Austin emphasized, “Make no mistake: the United States will not tolerate any attack on our forces in the region.”
Earlier on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official stated that the attack resulted in injuries to five U.S. service members and two American contractors, all of whom are in stable condition.
Iran-Backed Militia
In a statement released by the Pentagon regarding a call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the U.S. Department of Defense described the rocket attack on Al-Asad Air Base as “an attack carried out by an Iran-backed militia on U.S. forces,” warning that it “constitutes a serious escalation.”
Monday’s attack marks the third incident targeting the Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, which hosts U.S. and coalition forces fighting the Islamic State, within less than a month.
These attacks have been recurring since the outbreak of the conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, although their frequency has significantly decreased later.
Monday’s attack comes amid rising concerns about the conflict in the region potentially expanding if Iran and its allies launch an attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah military commander in southern Beirut last week.
While Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s assassination, it has claimed responsibility for the airstrike in southern Beirut.
The two assassinations have heightened fears of military escalation in the Middle East against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
