Iran attacks Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for Soleimani's death - CNN

The early morning attack presents President Donald Trump with the biggest test of his presidency to date.

A US official told CNN that there were no initial reports of any US casualties from the attack, but an assessment of the impact of the strikes is underway. Iraq's joint military command said there were no casualties among Iraqi military forces.

There is a growing belief among some administration officials that Iran's missiles intentionally missed areas populated by Americans when they targeted the two Iraqi bases, multiple administration officials said.

These officials floated the notion that Iran could have directed their missiles to hit areas that are populated by Americans, but intentionally did not.

Iraq did receive advance warning that the strike was coming and were able to take "necessary precautions," according to a statement from Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi.

White House aides had initially made plans for a possible address to the nation by Trump after the missile strikes, according to two officials, but a White House official said the President would not speak immediately. Trump tweeted later in the night that he would make a statement Wednesday morning.

"All is well!" Trump tweeted. "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 comes days after the US killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The administration had sought to cast that strike as an attempt to de-escalate tensions with Iran, but Tehran has described it as an "act of war" and "state terrorism."

In a televised address to Iran Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the country gave the US "a slap in the face last night," in reference to the attacks.

He added that America had cast Soleimani as a "terrorist," which was "unjust and unfair."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite wing of the Iranian military, said in a statement that the attacks on Iraqi bases were "hard revenge" for the death of Soleimani. The IRGC said any country housing US troops could be subject to "hostile and aggressive acts" and called on American citizens to demand the government remove US troops from the region.

It warned the US: "If you repeat your wickedness or take any additional movements or make additional aggression, we will respond with more painful and crushing responses."

Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at the al-Asad airbase, which houses US troops, and American and coalition forces in the town of Erbil, Jonathan Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Tuesday evening.

Iraq received "an official verbal message" from Iran about the missile attack shortly before midnight on Wednesday, according to a statement from Mahdi.

He said that Iraq was told that: "The strike would be limited to the whereabouts of the US military in Iraq, without giving the exact location." Once they received the warning, Iraqi military leaders were warned "to take the necessary precautions."

"No casualties so far from the Iraqi side, and we have not officially received information on the losses from the coalition forces," the Prime Minister added.

In recent days, US bases have "been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region," said Pentagon spokesperson Hoffman.

"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," he added.

An initial assessment suggests that the missiles struck areas of the al-Asad base not populated by Americans, according to a US military official and a senior administration official.

Officials have said the US is awaiting daylight to get a full assessment of the results of the strikes.

Another US military official told CNN the military had enough warning of the launches that they had time to sound alarms. People in harm's way were able to get to safety, according to the official.

In Erbil, at least two ballistic missiles hit separate areas, two Kurdish security officials tell CNN. One missile landed inside the perimeter of Erbil International Airport without exploding, the second hit an area roughly 20 miles west of Erbil without causing casualties.

Trump had visited the base in December 2018 after Christmas. Vice President Mike Pence also visited the base in November 2019.

Iran warns the US

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the response was meant to be proportionate to the American attack that killed Soleimani. The top diplomat also said Iran "concluded" its widely anticipated response Soleimani's killing.

"Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched," Zarif tweeted. "We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression."

Meanwhile the IRGC warned warned it would target any regional state that becomes a platform for US aggression, according to state TV.

Amid renewed Iranian threats to also hit Israeli cities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own warning to Iran Wednesday. "Anyone who tries to attack us will suffer the most devastating blow," he told a press conference in Jerusalem.

Attack are a direct challenge to Trump

The rockets pose a direct challenge to Trump, who issued a threat to Iran on Tuesday, just hours before the attacks began on the bases. "If Iran does anything that it shouldn't be doing, they will be suffering the consequences and very strongly," the President said.

In the immediate aftermath of Soleimani's killing, Trump repeatedly stressed that the deadly drone strike was meant to reduce violence. "We took action last night to stop a war," he told reporters a day after the attack. "We did not take action to start a war."

Trump's message later shifted to warning of a "disproportionate" attack that could include targeting Iran's cultural sites, a war crime.

After the strikes Tuesday evening, Trump met in the Situation Room at the White House with members of his national security team including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs chairman Mark Milley, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, and press secretary Stephanie Grisham. CIA Director Gina Haspel attended the meeting remotely.

Iran's decision to attack is a "huge gamble," said Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor and Iran expert at the University of Ottawa who said that leaders in Tehran have included Trump's domestic political concerns in their calculations. The President ran on a platform of ending US involvement in the messy Middle East entanglements.

"Iran assesses Trump does not want to get bogged down in a large scale war in the Middle East, and that this gives it more margin to maneuver," Juneau wrote on Twitter. "Needless to say, this is a HUGE gamble given how unpredictable Trump is."

Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Iran's attack was a foregone conclusion after the Ayatollah announced there would be retaliation. Further escalation will depend on Trump's ability to absorb the attack and a few casualties, she said.

"From Trump's rhetoric, he doesn't seem as if he's willing to absorb any Iranian retaliation -- no matter how proportional it is to the US attack that killed Soleimani -- and that means we're locked into an escalatory spiral that will push us into war that will unfold on Iranian territory, but also in the rest of region, including Iraq," Slim said.

European Union leaders have urged calm. "The current crisis affects not only the region, but all of us," said European Commission President Ursula con der Leyen during a press conference Wednesday.

"The use of weapons must stop now to give space to dialogue."

In the US, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was discussing the situation in Iran when she was handed a note with news of the attack, lawmakers who attended the meeting said.

Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat, said she paused the discussion to tell the members of the Steering Committee of the news.

"Pray," Pelosi told members, according to Rep. Debbie Dingell.

This story has been updated with additional breaking news developments.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny, Alex Marquadt, Pamela Brown, Michael Callahan, Haley Byrd, Kaitlan Collins, Manu Raju and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report. CNN's Ingrid Formanek, Kareem Khadder, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Jomana Karadsheh and Arwa Damon.

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2020-01-08 13:30:00Z
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Iran's strikes seem intended to avoid US deaths. Here's why that might be the case - CNN

Iran will have known that US troops are normally asleep in the early hours of the morning, and the chances of inflicting casualties are lower.

It will also have known the US has a strong air defense that would likely have been on high alert. Tehran should have a grasp of how well its missiles would fare against such technology.

The missile attacks don't make sense if Tehran's goal was to really hurt US troops in large numbers -- as some had been pledging to do.

They do make sense, however, as the execution of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's order to strike back openly against US military targets in response to the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

Khamenei's instruction was confusing when first reported, as the US would be bound to prevail in a straight military-to-military conflict. Was the Supreme Leader ordering an empty show of force?

The dust is still settling, and even at the best of times Iran's motivations can be opaque, but there are three possible explanations for the action.

First, that Khamenei is out of touch with what his military can achieve and overestimated the effectiveness of the strikes, which then failed. This would be surprising given his reported involvement in and knowledge of Iranian military affairs.

Second, that moderation won out, and this largely empty signal -- hitting military targets in the dead of night with a small number of missiles -- provides the off-ramp both sides might ultimately want. This would be logical, given that neither Tehran nor Washington has much to gain from a prolonged fight.

Third, it might be a bid by Iran to give the US a false sense of security -- that Iran is militarily weak and has done its worst -- while an asymmetrical and nastier response is brewed.

That would require a lot of strategic acumen from a government split between hardline and moderate wings, and would mean Tehran was relatively certain no Americans would be hurt in this missile attack.

If the attacks in Iraq are indeed the full scope of Iran's response, they carry another risk: that the Trump administration thinks its ramshackle performance over the past week has paid off, and Iran has been vanquished.

This would risk further irrational action from Washington, perhaps not just against Iran but also other enemies. It would also make Iran look weak, which might embolden Tehran's other regional adversaries.

Iran's response to the killing of Soleimani was always going to be difficult to predict. But -- even if the strikes truly are the entirety of Tehran's revenge -- few would have anticipated something so swift and so openly military-to-military.

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2020-01-08 13:00:00Z
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Live updates: More than a dozen missiles hit U.S. bases in Iraq; Iran claims they caused heavy casualties - The Washington Post

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a video purporting to show missiles being fired on Jan. 8 and streaking toward Iraq, targeting bases housing U.S. troops.

Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq early Wednesday local time, marking the most significant Iranian attack in a growing conflict with the United States.

The al-Asad air base in western Iraq, which houses some American troops, was hit by at least six missiles, according to a U.S. defense official familiar with the situation. In a tweet late Tuesday, President Trump proclaimed “All is well!” and vowed to address the nation on the situation Wednesday morning.

No U.S. casualties were immediately reported, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that dozens of U.S. troops were killed in revenge for a U.S. airstrike last week that killed a top Iranian commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Here’s what we know so far:

● Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq and claimed that at least 80 U.S. troops were killed. U.S. military said it was still assessing casualties.

● Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the attack a “slap in the face” of the United States but said more needed to be done to end the U.S. presence in the region and avenge Soleimani’s death.

● President Trump will make a statement Wednesday.

● Airlines around the world are rerouting flights around Iranian and Iraqi airspace.

● Iraq’s prime minister said he was informed ahead of time of the attack.

7:22 AM: British leader calls for end to retaliatory strikes in U.S.-Iran feud

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he opposes any further military actions in the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran in the Middle East.

He made the statement in response to a question by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn about whether Johnson opposes “further retaliation or escalations in violence.” Confirming that he does, Johnson said, “The United Kingdom has been working solidly since the crisis began to bring together our European allies in their response.”

Johnson also said that the “United States has a right to protect its bases and its personnel” and that Soleimani was responsible for sustaining the “brutal Assad regime in Syria” and supplying weapons and explosives to terrorists. “That man [Soleimani] had the blood of British troops on his hands,” Johnson said.

On Monday, Johnson said that Britain would not support Trump’s threat to target Iranian cultural sites and issued a statement along with Germany and France that asked “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility.”

By: Jennifer Hassan

7:04 AM: Kuwait news agency says hackers posted fake tweets about withdrawal of U.S. troops

ISTANBUL — The state-run Kuwait News Agency said Wednesday that hackers published fake messages on its Twitter account that indicated that the U.S. military would rapidly withdraw its troops from a base in Kuwait.

The two messages were quickly deleted. “Our social media account (Twitter) has been hacked,” the agency said.

The messages were posted around 5:42 a.m. Eastern time. “Kuwait defense minister announced today that he has received an official letter from Commander-in-chief of Camp Arifjan declaring imminent withdrawal of all US military forces in 3 days,” the first said, referring to a U.S. base in Kuwait, on the Persian Gulf.

“Kuwait Defense Minister stated that receiving such letter from Camp Arifjan was unexpected and we are communicating with U.S. Department of Defense for more details and information,” said the second.

The apparent hacking came amid soaring tensions between the United States and Iran after President Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq early Wednesday that it said were in retaliation for the killing.

Iran has also threatened retaliation against other U.S. bases in the region if U.S. strikes against Tehran are launched from those bases.

By: Kareem Fahim

5:40 AM: Iraq’s leader informed ahead of time of Iranian strikes

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister said Wednesday that Iran notified his office of the impending military action against U.S. targets in Iraq early Wednesday, just as the U.S. military reported that attacks were beginning.

“Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 8/1/2020, we received an official oral message from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Iranian response to the assassination of Qasem Soleimani had begun,” said a statement from Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s office.

“And at the same time, the American side called us and rockets were falling on the American forces’ quarters at Ein al-Asad base in Anbar and Harir in Irbil and in other locations,” the statement said.

No casualties have been reported, the statement said. The prime minister called on all parties to exercise restraint and respect Iraqi sovereignty. Abdul Mahdi has condemned the killing of Soleimani as an “assassination,” saying that the departure of U.S. and other foreign troops from Iraq is now the only way to de-escalate tensions.

By: Louisa Loveluck

5:14 AM: Iraqi militia leader says it is now Iraqis’ turn to attack U.S. targets

BAGHDAD — A leading militia commander in Iraq said Wednesday that it was time for the country to follow Iran’s example and avenge the U.S. airstrike that killed Soleimani last week.

“Now it is time for the initial response to the assassination of the martyred commander Muhandis,” Qais al-Khazali, who leads the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, wrote on Twitter, referring to an Iraqi militia commander killed in the attack ordered by Trump.

“Because Iraqis are brave and zealous, their response will not be any less than that or Iran’s. That is a promise,” he said.

Pictures of slain militia commander Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, have sprung up across Baghdad this week, tacked to monuments near the Green Zone and hanging right in front of the U.S. Embassy.

By: Louisa Loveluck

5:14 AM: Airlines halting flights over Iran, Iraq airspace

BEIRUT — The flagship airlines of France, Germany and the Netherlands have restricted flights in Iran’s airspace due to rapidly escalating tension in the area, following an attack by Iran on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops.

Air France suspended flights over both Iranian and Iraqi airspace, Reuters reported the company saying Wednesday.

Agence France-Presse reported that KLM flights have been rerouted. “Until further notice, KLM has no flights over Iranian or Iraqi airspace,” a spokesman said.

A spokesman for Lufthansa said the German airline is canceling its daily flight between Frankfurt and Tehran, as well as its next planned flight on Saturday to Irbil in Iraq, Reuters reported.

Irbil was one of the areas hit overnight in Iraq, when Iran launched more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in the country.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday issued a notice prohibiting U.S. carriers “from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”

Other commercial airlines also rerouted flights, including Australian carrier Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines, the Associated Press reported.

By: Sarah Dadouch

4:56 AM: Iraqis living near U.S. Embassy abandon their homes, fearing strike

BAGHDAD — Some Iraqi residents of the neighborhoods near Baghdad’s U.S. Embassy have left their homes overnight and in recent days, fearing that the area might become a target for future rocket or missile attacks.

“People have left the area; others have started sleeping in their basements,” said Dima Ahmed, who lives in the Harthiya neighborhood near the embassy. “They’re worried they’ll be hit by mistake.”

Security remains tight across Baghdad’s Green Zone, where supporters of an Iranian-backed militia besieged the U.S. Embassy last week. A portrait of Muhandis, the influential militia leader killed in the U.S. drone strike that targeted Soleimani’s convoy on Friday, now hangs opposite the sprawling compound.

By: Louisa Loveluck

4:47 AM: Kurdish leader fears autonomous region to be drawn in U.S.-Iranian conflict

BAGHDAD — The prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region said he spoke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo early Wednesday, urging de-escalation and saying that the region must not be dragged into the fray.

In a statement hours later, Masrour Barzani’s government stressed that Iraq’s Kurdish region would “not be a field of conflict.”

The U.S. and Iraqi militaries say that several rockets landed in the region’s capital, Irbil. No casualties have yet been reported.

By: Louisa Loveluck

3:55 AM: Supreme leader says Iran ‘slapped’ U.S. with missile strikes

ISTANBUL — Iran “slapped” the United States “on the face” with a barrage of ballistic missile strikes targeting U.S. bases in Iraq early Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said.

The strikes were in retaliation for the death of Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad last week. In an address in the holy city of Qom, Khamenei said that “military action is not enough” to avenge Soleimani’s death.

The “corrupt presence of the United States in the region should come to an end,” Khamenei said. He then praised Soleimani, who was buried in his hometown Wednesday morning, as a “brave and prudent” military and political strategist.

“He would go into the heart of danger to keep others safe,” the Tasnim News Agency quoted Khamenei as saying.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also alluded to the strikes in Iraq overnight, saying that the United States may have “cut off the arm” of Soleimani but that America’s “legs” would be cut off in the region, too.

By: Erin Cunningham

3:44 AM: U.S. ambassador to Israel says few U.S. casualties

JERUSALEM — U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that early assessments of Iran’s missile strikes against U.S. forces suggested that U.S. casualties may be limited.

“Initial assessments are positive, and we pray these reports are true,” Friedman said before he addressed a forum on U.S. policy on Israeli settlements in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

By: Steve Hendrix

3:40 AM: Emirati officials call for calm, say oil flow will not be affected

DUBAI — Emirati officials called Wednesday for de-escalation after Iranian missiles crashed down on U.S. bases in Iraq, while maintaining that the flow of oil from the region so far was unaffected.

In a tweet, Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said it was “essential that the region pulls back from the current & troubling tensions. De escalation is both wise & necessary.”

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei, meanwhile, said war has not yet broken out and the situation should not be exaggerated.

“We will not see a war,” he said at a conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters. “This is definitely an escalation between the United States, which is an ally, and Iran, which is a neighbor.”

He added that the OPEC cartel of oil producers would make up for any shortages caused by the tensions between the United States and Iran in the region.

“We are not forecasting any shortage of supply unless there is a catastrophic escalation, which we don’t see,” he said.

By: Paul Schemm

2:00 AM: Britain condemns Iranian attack on bases in Iraq

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned Wednesday the Iranian missile attack on coalition bases in Iraq expressing concern over “reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles.”

In a statement, Raab urged Iran not to engage in further attacks, adding that a war in the Middle East would only help the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups.”

By: Paul Schemm

1:50 AM: Iraq says no Iraqi casualties in Iranian missiles strike on U.S. bases

Ho

Irib/Afp Via Getty Images

Image from Iranian state TV on Jan. 8, 2020 allegedly showing rockets launched from Iran against the U.S. al-Asad in Iraq.

DUBAI — Iraq’s security communications office confirmed that 22 missiles were fired at its territory against coalition bases, with no Iraqis killed.

The tweets said 17 missiles hit in the area of the al-Asad air base with two not exploding and five missiles hit Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region.

The U.S. military has said it is still assessing casualties but Iran has claimed that dozens of U.S. troops were killed in the missile attack.

Iran says the attack is in retaliation for a drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Soleimani.

By: Paul Schemm

1:22 AM: Iran claims dozens of U.S. deaths in missile strike

DUBAI — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that dozens of U.S. soldiers were killed in a missile attack on Al-Asad base in Iraq. The U.S. military has said it is still assessing casualties.

In a statement to state television the elite Revolutionary Guard said 15 missiles hit 20 critical points killing 80 soldiers, wounding 200 and destroying large quantities of military equipment, including helicopters, according to the Mehr news agency.

The Iranian press has been filled with glowing reports of the damage caused by the missile strike against two U.S. bases in Iraq in the early hours of the morning. President Trump, however, tweeted “all is well” and promised to address the nation later Wednesday.

Wana News Agency

Via Reuters

A woman walks past an anti U.S. mural on the former U.S. Embassy's wall in Tehran Jan. 7, 2020.

The chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, said the missile strikes would not be the end of Iran’s retaliation and any response by the United States would only provoke more attacks.

Iran is retaliating for the Jan. 2 killing of top Iranian commander Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike.

Iran’s military has said that more than 100 U.S. targets in the region have been identified. In earlier statements, leaders have said the response would be restricted to military and civilian targets.

U.S. authorities have told commercial shipping to be cautious in waters near Iran and the FAA has banned U.S. carriers from Iraqi, Iranian and Persian Gulf airspace because of the “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” for civilian aircraft.

By: Paul Schemm

11:00 PM: Escalating tensions jolt financial markets

HONG KONG — Stock markets in Asia slumped, while oil and gold prices surged after the Iranian missile attack on U.S. military bases intensified fears of a wider conflict.

Japan’s Nikkei was down around 2 percent midday Wednesday, and stocks in Hong Kong and Australia also declined.

The global benchmark Brent crude oil futures soared more than 3 percent to their highest since September, before paring some of the gains. U.S. stock futures also slid.

Gold — seen as a haven in times of uncertainty — surged above $1,600 an ounce for the first time in almost seven years, while the yen strengthened against the dollar.

By: David Crawshaw

10:21 PM: Contractor whose death Trump cites was a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Iraq

An American defense contractor whose death late last month was cited by Trump amid escalating violence with Iran was identified Tuesday as an interpreter who was born in Iraq and lived in Sacramento.

Nawres Hamid, 33, became a naturalized citizen in 2017, according to his widow. He was the father of two boys, ages 2 and 8, she said.

In recent years, as an Arabic interpreter for U.S. forces in Iraq, Hamid was known to decorate his living space with pictures of the children, according to a co-worker.

Hamid was killed on Dec. 27 when U.S. authorities say an Iranian-backed militia fired rockets at a military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

The attack, which injured several coalition troops, prompted Trump to order missile strikes against Iraqi militias. That in turn led to a New Year’s Eve assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and a retaliatory strike by the United States that killed Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander.

Hamid’s death has been a rallying cry for Trump. In a tweet on Dec. 31, Trump wrote: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”

Read more here.

By: Aaron Davis

10:00 PM: Trump says he will make statement Wednesday in response to Iranian strike

President Trump on Jan. 7 defended the strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by pointing, in part, to Soleimani’s past actions.

WASHINGTON — In a tweet, Trump said he would address the nation Wednesday morning and sought to reassure Americans, declaring, “All is well!”

“Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” Trump said. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!”

Despite Trump’s tweet, there were no public events listed for the president on the schedule sent out by the White House eight minutes earlier.

Democrats have responded to news of the strike by urging Trump not to resort to military action, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeting that America and the world “cannot afford war.”

By: Felicia Sonmez

9:50 PM: Iranian foreign minister says his country took ‘proportionate measures’

WASHINGTON — Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, in a message on Twitter following the strikes, said that Iran had taken “proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of U.N. Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.”

By: Missy Ryan

9:23 PM: Warren and other Democrats call for de-escalation, voice concern for U.S. troops

Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election have been vocal in calling out President Trump’s actions in Iran that have heightened tensions between the two nations.

WASHINGTON — News of Iran’s strike broke as a crowd of more than 4,000 waited for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at a rally in Brooklyn Tuesday night. As soon as she took the stage, Warren said she wanted to open on a “very sober note.”

“For any of you who haven’t been able to follow it, within the last hour, the Iranian government has announced that it has sent missiles to attack our military bases in Iraq,” she said. “My three brothers all served in the military. … My heart and my prayers are with our military and with their families in Iraq and around the world. This is a reminder of why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran.”

Former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro, who was in Brooklyn to introduce Warren at their first joint event since his endorsement of her, also opened with mention of the airstrikes.

“I wanted to just begin by saying that tonight we’re thinking about our men and women in uniform, especially those who are stationed in Iraq. And we’re praying for their safety,” he said.

Castro, who went on to also mention the massive earthquake that had caused widespread damage in Puerto Rico, said developments on the island and in Iraq were “two very powerful and poignant reminders of why all of us have a role to play: engaging in our democracy, voting, and ushering in new leadership in 2020 with a new president.”

Several of the other Democratic White House candidates took to Twitter to voice concern for U.S. troops in Iraq in the wake of the Iranian strike.

“Tonight, Americans in Iraq are under fire,” former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg said. “My prayers are with them, their loved ones, and their families.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) said that the United States “must do all we can to protect our servicemembers and Americans at risk.”

Klobuchar did not attend a previously scheduled fundraiser in Washington Tuesday night due to the Iranian strike.

By: Amy B Wang and Felicia Sonmez

9:10 PM: Military unclear if there were U.S. casualties in attacks on two military bases

WASHINGTON — A defense official said that U.S. military did not yet have clear information about whether there had been American casualties in the attacks on the two sites in Iraq.

One U.S. military official, reached for comment earlier Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.

By: Missy Ryan

8:32 PM: Representative to Iran’s supreme leader appears to mimic Trump’s tweet

WASHINGTON — Moments after a military base was struck by missiles in Iraq, Saeed Jalili, a representative to Iran’s supreme leader, tweeted a photo of Iran’s flag.

The tweet appears to be mimicking President Trump, who tweeted a photo of the American flag following reports that an airstrike had killed Soleimani.

By: Michael Brice-Saddler and Shane Harris

8:20 PM: Irbil military base targeted in missile attack is major hub for U.S. and coalition military activity

WASHINGTON — Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region, is a major hub for U.S. and coalition military activity in Iraq and also an important launching point for the parallel mission against the Islamic State in neighboring Syria.

Many U.S. forces pass through Irbil on their way in and out of a network of much smaller bases in Syria. During the peak of the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq, military officials also oversaw a major battle in the nearby city of Mosul from Irbil. The city, like most of Iraqi Kurdistan, has been considered safer for U.S. personnel than other parts of Iraq.

By: Missy Ryan

7:22 PM: Iran launches more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in Iraq, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON — Iranian forces have launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday evening, marking the most significant Iranian attack in the growing conflict between Iran and the United States.

The attack was launched about 5:30 p.m. Washington time, the Pentagon said.

“It is clear these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel,” the statement said. Al Asad air base in western Iraq and at least one facility in Irbil were targeted.

“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,” the statement said. “Due to the dynamic nature of the situation, we will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

One U.S. military official, reached for comment Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.

“They’re still in bunker mode,” the official said.

The al-Asad air base in Iraq was hit by at least six missiles about midnight local time, said a U.S. defense official familiar with the situation.

The base, in Iraq’s western Anbar province, houses some American troops. Trump on Sunday called it “extraordinarily expensive,” threatening the Iraqi government with sanctions if the United States is told to withdraw all of its troops from Iraq and the government in Baghdad does not pay for it.

It was not immediately clear where on the base the missiles landed or if anyone was harmed. It would appear to mark one of the most aggressive attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq since the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah launched 31 missiles at a base near Kirkuk on Dec. 27, killing a contractor and wounding several U.S. troops.

The U.S. military launched airstrikes on targets affiliated with Iranian-backed forces two days later.

By: Dan Lamothe

6:35 PM: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims the ‘harsh revenge’ promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, report says

BEIRUT — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that the “harsh revenge” promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, according to the Fars News Agency. The agency said Iran had fired “tens” of ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq, but that could not be independently confirmed.

In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the missiles were fired to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani in an operation called “Operation Martyr Soleimani.”

The IRGC also released a video purporting to show the missiles being fired and streaking toward Iraq. U.S. military officials said they had been anticipating a strike of some sort at al-Asad and that personnel at the base had taken precautions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

By: Liz Sly

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2020-01-08 12:57:00Z
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Victims of Iran plane crash hailed from around the world - CNN

They included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals, according to a tweet from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko.

A spokesperson for the airline told a press conference that the plane was last checked on January 6 and there have been no complaints previously in relation to the jet.

Yevhenii Dykhne, president of Ukraine International Airlines, said in a press conference at Kiev airport that most of the dead passengers were in transit to Ukraine to connect to further flights, he said.

A spokesman for the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the plane crash in Iran overnight. We are urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board and will do all we can to support any families affected."

Some of the dead were apparently students at the Sharif University of Technology Association in Tehran. Siamak Aram, a board member of SUTA, told CNN: "Yes, unfortunately at least 14 Sharif Alumni died."

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said: "The Federal Foreign Office and our Embassy in Tehran are in close contact with the relevant authorities to determine whether there were German citizens aboard the aircraft."

Meanwhile a spokesman for Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) urged worried relatives to get in touch. He told CNN: "A number of Swedes have lost their lives in the aircraft crash in Iran. We are now working intensively to obtain clarity about the number of Swedes who have died."

The spokesman said it is doing this "onsite in Iran, through our embassy and at the MFA in Stockholm."

He added: "The MFA has decided to activate its crisis management organization until further notice. We urge worried relatives to call the MFA on +46 8 405 92 00. We urge Swedes in Iran to contact their relatives."

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2020-01-08 11:52:00Z
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'All is well,' Trump tweets after Iran targets U.S. forces in missile attack in Iraq - NBC News

“All is well!” and "so far, so good," President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday night after Iran launched ballistic missiles at U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

The president also said he would make a statement Wednesday morning.

“Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!” the president tweeted.

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.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020

Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.

Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles that targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

Full coverage of the crisis with Iran

There was no official word whether there had been any casualties. Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance tweeted that all of its deployed armed forces personnel are safe and accounted for after the missile attacks in Iraq.

The strikes come less than a week after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and full coverage of the Iran crisis

"These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region," Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of U.S. Department of Defense for Public Affairs, said in the Pentagon statement.

The Iranian launches come less than a week after the U.S. killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of its Quds Force, in an airstrike in Iraq.

The Pentagon has described that strike, which was conducted at Trump's direction, as a "defensive action" and said that Soleimani "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region."

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, tweeted that Iran “took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense” under Article 51 of the United Nations charter.

"We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," Zarif said in the tweet.

Phil Helsel

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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2020-01-08 12:02:00Z
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Live updates: More than a dozen missiles hit U.S. bases in Iraq, Iran claims there were heavy casualties - The Washington Post

Ho Irib/Afp Via Getty Images Image from Iranian state TV on Jan. 8, 2020 allegedly showing rockets launched from Iran against the U.S. al-Asad in Iraq.

Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq in the early hours of the morning local time on Wednesday, marking the most significant Iranian attack in the growing conflict with the United States.

The al-Asad air base in western Iraq, which houses some American troops, was hit by at least six missiles, according to a U.S. defense official familiar with the situation. In a tweet late Tuesday, President Trump proclaimed “All is well!” and vowed to address the nation on the situation Wednesday morning.

There are have been no U.S. reports of casualties yet, but Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard is claiming dozens of U.S. soldiers were killed in revenge for the U.S. airstrike that killed prominent commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

On Tuesday, authorities were forced to suspend the burial of Soleimani after a stampede killed dozens of mourners.

Here’s what we know so far:

● Iranian forces have launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq, claiming at least 80 U.S. soldiers killed. U.S. military said it was still assessing casualties.

● Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called in a “slap in the face” of the United States.

● President Trump will make a statement Wednesday.

● Esper said the United States will not be withdrawing troops from Iraq.

● Iranian state news agencies reported that at least 50 people died and more than 200 were injured in the stampede at the funeral for Soleimani.

5:40 AM: Iraq’s leader informed ahead of time of Iranian strikes

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister said Wednesday that Iran notified his office of the impending military action against U.S. targets here last night, just as the U.S. military reported that attacks were beginning.

“Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 8/1/2020, we received an official oral message from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Iranian response to the assassination of the Qasim Soleimani had begun,” said a statement from Adel Abdul Mahdi’s office.

“And at the same time, the American side called us and rockets were falling on the American forces quarters at Ein al-Assad bases in Anbar and Harir in Arbil and in other locations.”

No casualties have been reported, the statement said. The prime minister called on all parties to exercise restraint and respect Iraqi sovereignty. Abdul Mahdi has condemned the killing of Soleimani as an “assassination,” saying that the departure of U.S. and other foreign troops from Iraq is now the only way to de-escalate tensions.

By: Louisa Loveluck

5:14 AM: Iraqi militia leader says now its turn to attack U.S. targets

BAGHDAD — A leading militia commander in Iraq said Wednesday that it was time for the country to follow Iran’s example, and avenge the U.S. airstrike that killed Soleimani last week.

“Now it is time for the initial response to the assassination of the martyred commander Mohandes,” Qais al-Khazali, who leads the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, wrote on Twitter, referring to an Iraqi militia commander killed in the attack ordered by Trump.

“Because Iraqis are brave and zealous, their response will not be any less than that or Iran’s. That is a promise,” he said.

Pictures of Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, have sprung up across Baghdad this week, tacked to monuments near the Green Zone and hanging right in front of the U.S. Embassy.

By: Louisa Loveluck

5:14 AM: European airlines halt flights over Iran, Iraq airspace

BEIRUT — France, Germany, and the Netherland’s flagship airlines have restricted flights in Iran’s airspace due to rapidly escalating tension in the area, following an attack by Iran on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops.

Air France suspended flights over both Iranian and Iraqi airspace, Reuters reported the company saying on Wednesday.

AFP reported that KLM flights have been rerouted. “Until further notice, KLM has no flights over Iranian or Iraqi airspace,” a spokesman said.

A spokesman for Lufthansa said the German airline is canceling its daily flight between Frankfurt and Tehran, as well as its next planned flight on Saturday to Irbil in Iraq, Reuters reported.

Irbil was one of the areas hit overnight in Iraq, when Iran launched more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in the country.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday issued a notice prohibiting U.S. carriers “from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”

Other commercial airlines also rerouted flights, including Australian carrier Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, and Singapore Airlines, the Associated Press reported.

By: Sarah Dadouch

4:56 AM: Iraqis living near U.S. Embassy abandon their homes, fearing strike

BAGHDAD — Some Iraqi residents of the neighborhoods near Baghdad’s U.S. Embassy have left their homes overnight and in recent days, fearing that the area might become a target for future rocket or missile attacks.

“People have left the area, others have started sleeping in their basements,” said Dima Ahmed, who lives in the Harthiya neighborhood near the embassy. “They’re worried they’ll be hit by mistake.”

Security remains tight across Baghdad’s Green Zone, where supporters of an Iran-backed militia attacked, and briefly besieged, the U.S. Embassy last week. A portrait of one of the country’s most influential militia leaders, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in the U.S. drone strike which targeted Soleimani’s convoy on Friday, now hangs opposite the sprawling compound.

By: Louisa Loveluck

4:47 AM: Kurdish leader fears autonomous region to be drawn in U.S.-Iranian conflict

BAGHDAD — The prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region said he spoke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the early hours of Wednesday morning, urging deescalation and saying that the region must not be dragged into the fray.

In a statement hours later, Masrour Barzani’s government stressed that Iraq’s Kurdish region would “not be a field of conflict.”

The U.S. and Iraqi military say that several rockets landed in the region’s capital, Irbil. No casualties have yet been reported.

By: Louisa Loveluck

3:55 AM: Supreme leader says ‘slapped’ U.S. with missile strikes

ISTANBUL — Iran “slapped” the United States “on the face” with a barrage of ballistic missile strikes targeting U.S. bases in Iraq early Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said.

The strikes were retaliation for the death of Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad last week. In an address in the holy city of Qom, Khamenei said that “military action is not enough” to avenge Soleimani’s death.

The “corrupt presence of the United States in the region should come to an end,” Khamenei said. He then praised Soleimani, who was buried in his hometown Wednesday morning, as a “brave and prudent” military and political strategist.

“He would go into the heart of danger to keep others safe,” the Tasnim news agency quoted Khamenei as saying.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also alluded to the strikes in Iraq overnight, saying that the United States may have “cut off the arm” of Soleimani but that American’s “legs” would be cut off in the region, too.

By: Erin Cunningham

3:44 AM: U.S. ambassador to Israel says few U.S. casualties

JERUSALEM — U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that early assessments of Iran’s missile strikes against U.S. forces suggested U.S. casualties may be limited.

“Initial assessments are positive and we pray these reports are true,” Friedman said before he addressed a forum on U.S. policy on Israeli settlements in Jerusalem Wednesday.

By: Steve Hendrix

3:40 AM: Emirati officials call for calm, say oil flow will not be affected

DUBAI — Emirati officials on Wednesday called for de-escalation after Iranian missiles crashed down on U.S. bases in nearby Iraq, while maintaining that the flow of oil from the region so far was unaffected.

In a tweet, Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said it was “essential that the region pulls back from the current & troubling tensions. De escalation is both wise & necessary.”

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei, meanwhile, said war had not yet broken out and the situation should not be exaggerated.

“We will not see a war,” he said at a conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters. “This is definitely an escalation between the United States, which is an ally, and Iran, which is a neighbor.”

He added that the OPEC cartel of oil producers would make up for any shortages caused by the tensions between the United States and Iran in the region.

“We are not forecasting any shortage of supply unless there is a catastrophic escalation, which we don’t see,” he said.

By: Paul Schemm

2:00 AM: Britain condemns Iranian attack on bases in Iraq

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned Wednesday the Iranian missile attack on coalition bases in Iraq expressing concern over “reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles.”

In a statement, Raab urged Iran not to engage in further attacks, adding that a war in the Middle East would only help the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups.”

By: Paul Schemm

1:50 AM: Iraq says no Iraqi casualties in Iranian missiles strike on U.S. bases

DUBAI — Iraq’s security communications office confirmed that 22 missiles were fired at its territory against coalition bases, with no Iraqis killed.

The tweets said 17 missiles hit in the area of the al-Asad air base with two not exploding and five missiles hit Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region.

The U.S. military has said it is still assessing casualties but Iran has claimed that dozens of U.S. troops were killed in the missile attack.

Iran says the attack is in retaliation for a drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Soleimani.

By: Paul Schemm

1:22 AM: Iran claims dozens of U.S. deaths in missile strike

DUBAI — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that dozens of U.S. soldiers were killed in a missile attack on Al-Asad base in Iraq. The U.S. military has said it is still assessing casualties.

In a statement to state television the elite Revolutionary Guard said 15 missiles hit 20 critical points killing 80 soldiers, wounding 200 and destroying large quantities of military equipment, including helicopters, according to the Mehr news agency.

The Iranian press has been filled with glowing reports of the damage caused by the missile strike against two U.S. bases in Iraq in the early hours of the morning. President Trump, however, tweeted “all is well” and promised to address the nation later Wednesday.

Wana News Agency

Via Reuters

A woman walks past an anti U.S. mural on the former U.S. Embassy's wall in Tehran Jan. 7, 2020.

The chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, said the missile strikes would not be the end of Iran’s retaliation and any response by the United States would only provoke more attacks.

Iran is retaliating for the Jan. 2 killing of top Iranian commander Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike.

Iran’s military has said that more than 100 U.S. targets in the region have been identified. In earlier statements, leaders have said the response would be restricted to military and civilian targets.

U.S. authorities have told commercial shipping to be cautious in waters near Iran and the FAA has banned U.S. carriers from Iraqi, Iranian and Persian Gulf airspace because of the “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” for civilian aircraft.

By: Paul Schemm

11:00 PM: Escalating tensions jolt financial markets

HONG KONG — Stock markets in Asia slumped, while oil and gold prices surged after the Iranian missile attack on U.S. military bases intensified fears of a wider conflict.

Japan’s Nikkei was down around 2 percent midday Wednesday, and stocks in Hong Kong and Australia also declined.

The global benchmark Brent crude oil futures soared more than 3 percent to their highest since September, before paring some of the gains. U.S. stock futures also slid.

Gold — seen as a haven in times of uncertainty — surged above $1,600 an ounce for the first time in almost seven years, while the yen strengthened against the dollar.

By: David Crawshaw

10:21 PM: Contractor whose death Trump cites was a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Iraq

An American defense contractor whose death late last month was cited by Trump amid escalating violence with Iran was identified Tuesday as an interpreter who was born in Iraq and lived in Sacramento.

Nawres Hamid, 33, became a naturalized citizen in 2017, according to his widow. He was the father of two boys, ages 2 and 8, she said.

In recent years, as an Arabic interpreter for U.S. forces in Iraq, Hamid was known to decorate his living space with pictures of the children, according to a co-worker.

Hamid was killed on Dec. 27 when U.S. authorities say an Iranian-backed militia fired rockets at a military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

The attack, which injured several coalition troops, prompted Trump to order missile strikes against Iraqi militias. That in turn led to a New Year’s Eve assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and a retaliatory strike by the United States that killed Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander.

Hamid’s death has been a rallying cry for Trump. In a tweet on Dec. 31, Trump wrote: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”

Read more here.

By: Aaron Davis

10:00 PM: Trump says he will make statement Wednesday in response to Iranian strike

WASHINGTON — In a tweet, Trump said he would address the nation Wednesday morning and sought to reassure Americans, declaring, “All is well!”

“Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” Trump said. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!”

Despite Trump’s tweet, there were no public events listed for the president on the schedule sent out by the White House eight minutes earlier.

Democrats have responded to news of the strike by urging Trump not to resort to military action, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeting that America and the world “cannot afford war.”

By: Felicia Sonmez

9:50 PM: Iranian foreign minister says his country took ‘proportionate measures’

WASHINGTON — Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, in a message on Twitter following the strikes, said that Iran had taken “proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of U.N. Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.”

By: Missy Ryan

9:23 PM: Warren and other Democrats call for de-escalation, voice concern for U.S. troops

WASHINGTON — News of Iran’s strike broke as a crowd of more than 4,000 waited for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at a rally in Brooklyn Tuesday night. As soon as she took the stage, Warren said she wanted to open on a “very sober note.”

“For any of you who haven’t been able to follow it, within the last hour, the Iranian government has announced that it has sent missiles to attack our military bases in Iraq,” she said. “My three brothers all served in the military. … My heart and my prayers are with our military and with their families in Iraq and around the world. This is a reminder of why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran.”

Former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro, who was in Brooklyn to introduce Warren at their first joint event since his endorsement of her, also opened with mention of the airstrikes.

“I wanted to just begin by saying that tonight we’re thinking about our men and women in uniform, especially those who are stationed in Iraq. And we’re praying for their safety,” he said.

Castro, who went on to also mention the massive earthquake that had caused widespread damage in Puerto Rico, said developments on the island and in Iraq were “two very powerful and poignant reminders of why all of us have a role to play: engaging in our democracy, voting, and ushering in new leadership in 2020 with a new president.”

Several of the other Democratic White House candidates took to Twitter to voice concern for U.S. troops in Iraq in the wake of the Iranian strike.

“Tonight, Americans in Iraq are under fire,” former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg said. “My prayers are with them, their loved ones, and their families.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) said that the United States “must do all we can to protect our servicemembers and Americans at risk.”

Klobuchar did not attend a previously scheduled fundraiser in Washington Tuesday night due to the Iranian strike.

By: Amy B Wang and Felicia Sonmez

9:10 PM: Military unclear if there were U.S. casualties in attacks on two military bases

WASHINGTON — A defense official said that U.S. military did not yet have clear information about whether there had been American casualties in the attacks on the two sites in Iraq.

One U.S. military official, reached for comment earlier Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.

By: Missy Ryan

8:32 PM: Representative to Iran’s supreme leader appears to mimic Trump’s tweet

WASHINGTON — Moments after a military base was struck by missiles in Iraq, Saeed Jalili, a representative to Iran’s supreme leader, tweeted a photo of Iran’s flag.

The tweet appears to be mimicking President Trump, who tweeted a photo of the American flag following reports that an airstrike had killed Soleimani.

By: Michael Brice-Saddler and Shane Harris

8:20 PM: Irbil military base targeted in missile attack is major hub for U.S. and coalition military activity

WASHINGTON — Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region, is a major hub for U.S. and coalition military activity in Iraq and also an important launching point for the parallel mission against the Islamic State in neighboring Syria.

Many U.S. forces pass through Irbil on their way in and out of a network of much smaller bases in Syria. During the peak of the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq, military officials also oversaw a major battle in the nearby city of Mosul from Irbil. The city, like most of Iraqi Kurdistan, has been considered safer for U.S. personnel than other parts of Iraq.

By: Missy Ryan

7:22 PM: Iran launches more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in Iraq, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON — Iranian forces have launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday evening, marking the most significant Iranian attack in the growing conflict between Iran and the United States.

The attack was launched about 5:30 p.m. Washington time, the Pentagon said.

“It is clear these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel,” the statement said. Al Asad air base in western Iraq and at least one facility in Irbil were targeted.

“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,” the statement said. “Due to the dynamic nature of the situation, we will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

One U.S. military official, reached for comment Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.

“They’re still in bunker mode,” the official said.

The al-Asad air base in Iraq was hit by at least six missiles about midnight local time, said a U.S. defense official familiar with the situation.

The base, in Iraq’s western Anbar province, houses some American troops. Trump on Sunday called it “extraordinarily expensive,” threatening the Iraqi government with sanctions if the United States is told to withdraw all of its troops from Iraq and the government in Baghdad does not pay for it.

It was not immediately clear where on the base the missiles landed or if anyone was harmed. It would appear to mark one of the most aggressive attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq since the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah launched 31 missiles at a base near Kirkuk on Dec. 27, killing a contractor and wounding several U.S. troops.

The U.S. military launched airstrikes on targets affiliated with Iranian-backed forces two days later.

By: Dan Lamothe

6:35 PM: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims the ‘harsh revenge’ promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, report says

BEIRUT — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that the “harsh revenge” promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, according to the Fars News Agency. The agency said Iran had fired “tens” of ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq, but that could not be independently confirmed.

In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the missiles were fired to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani in an operation called “Operation Martyr Soleimani.”

The IRGC also released a video purporting to show the missiles being fired and streaking toward Iraq. U.S. military officials said they had been anticipating a strike of some sort at al-Asad and that personnel at the base had taken precautions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

By: Liz Sly

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2020-01-08 10:55:00Z
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Police in Australia are accusing 24 people of deliberately setting bushfires - CNN

Police have charged at least 24 people for intentionally starting bushfires in the state of New South Wales, according to a statement the New South Wales Police released Monday.

NSW Police have taken legal action against 183 people, 40 of whom are juveniles, for fire-related offenses since November 8, the statement said. The legal actions range from cautions to criminal charges.

Out of those 183 people, 53 have received cautions or criminal charges for failing to comply with a total fire ban and 47 are accused of discarding a lit cigarette or match on land, according to the police statement.

At least 24 people have died nationwide during this fire season. While the fires have touched every state in Australia, New South Wales has been the hardest hit.

The blazes have been burning across Australia for months, scorching homes and destroying entire towns. Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned -- most of it bushland, forests and national parks, which are home to the country's native wildlife.

Nearly half a billion animals have been affected by the fires in NSW alone and millions of them are potentially dead, according to ecologists at the University of Sydney. Birds, reptiles and mammals, except bats, are among those affected. Insects and frogs aren't included in that number.

Police are cracking down on the burn ban across the state. On Sunday, a man was charged after power tools he was using allegedly sparked a fire in Mount Druitt, according to NSW Police.

Three people were charged with breaching the fire ban over the weekend. Fire services put out fires in two different towns started for cooking purposes, NSW Police said. Another man was charged after authorities found several fires lit on his property in another town.

In November, the NSW Rural Fire Service arrested a 19-year-old volunteer member on suspicion of arson, charging him with seven counts of deliberately setting fires over a six-week period.

CNN's Samantha Beech and Hande Atay Alam contributed to this report.

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2020-01-08 10:03:00Z
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