Iran Carries Out Limited Missile Attack on U.S. Bases in Iraq

In the early hours of January 8th Iranian forces have launched over a dozen short ranged missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq, with the attack coming five days after U.S. forces assassinated Iran’s Quds Force commander Qasim Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport. The bases were located in Anbar province in Western Iraq, and in Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Official Iranian sources estimated the strikes caused over 80 casualties, although an assessment of the impact of the attacks is still underway. U.S. officials interviewed said there were no reports of American casualties, while Iraqi security forces have also stated that no Iraqi troops were killed. Tehran soon afterwards warned that any American retaliation for the strikes would lead to further attacks on U.S. positions. The U.S., for its part, does not appear poised to retaliate. President Donald Trump stated regarding the attack: “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.” The attack represents a limited response, which Tehran has claimed as proportional, after the Iranian leadership pledged to inflict a “harsh revenge” for the assassination of its general. The attack comes a day after Soleimani’s death and burial. Iran's ballistic missile forces are all under the control of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, of which the Quds Force is a branch responsible for overseas operations. Iran deploys a range of short ranged ballistic missiles including the Shahab-2 and Fateh-313, and it remains uncertain what types of missile were used in the attack.