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Trump Warns Iran over Rocket Attacks on Embassy in Iraq

RFE/RL

   U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against any attack on U.S.
   military or diplomatic personnel in Iraq, days after suspected
   Iran-backed Iraqi militia launched a barrage of rockets at the U.S.
   Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
   The warning, issued on Twitter on December 23, came after top U.S.
   national-security officials met to prepare a range of options to
   propose to the president in order to deter any attack on U.S. interests
   in Iraq.
   The so-called principals committee group, including acting Defense
   Secretary Chris Miller, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and
   national-security adviser Robert O'Brien met at the White House,
   Reuters reported, citing an anonymous official.
   For weeks, U.S. officials have suggested Iran or allied Iraqi militia
   could carry out retaliatory attacks to mark the first anniversary of
   the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani,
   and Iraqi militia leaders outside Baghdad's airport on January 3.
   The aim of the White House meeting was "to develop the right set of
   options that we could present to the president to make sure that we
   deter the Iranians and Shi'a militias in Iraq from conducting attacks
   on our personnel," a senior administration official told Reuters.
   Following the meeting, Trump took to Twitter to comment on a hail of
   rockets that targeted Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on
   December 20, causing minor damage to the U.S. Embassy compound and
   residential areas in the international zone.
   "Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three
   rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN," Trump
   wrote above a picture claiming to show rockets from Iran.

   "Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq.
   Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will
   hold Iran responsible. Think it over," Trump wrote, repeating a redline
   over any American casualties.

     Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three
     rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we
     hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq...
     [1]pic.twitter.com/0OCL6IFp5M
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [2]December 23, 2020

   Iranian condemnation

   Iran's foreign minister dismissed Trump's allegations that Iran was
   behind the recent rocket attack.

   "Putting your own citizens at risk abroad won't divert attention from
   catastrophic failures at home," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
   said on Twitter.

   Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh described Trump's
   accusations as "baseless" and said that Iran has repeatedly condemned
   attacks on diplomatic and residential sites.

   Khatibzadeh was quoted by the official government news agency IRNA as
   saying that Tehran considers the U.S. responsible for the consequences
   of "any unwise move" in the current condition.

   "In this specific issue, the fingers are pointed at the U.S. and its
   partners and allies in the region that are trying to increase tension,"
   he said.

   The U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that
   the rocket attack in Iraq was "almost certainly" carried out by an
   "Iranian-backed rogue militia group."

   "While this 21 rocket attack caused no U.S. injuries or casualties, the
   attack did damage buildings in the U.S. Embassy compound, and was
   clearly NOT intended to avoid casualties," the statement said.

   Following the December 20 attack, an Iraqi military statement said "an
   outlawed group" launched eight rockets at the Green Zone, the location
   of embassies and government buildings.
   Most of the rockets landed near an empty residential complex and
   checkpoint, injuring one Iraqi security person.
   Although no Americans were killed or injured by the rockets, the attack
   and Trump's threat underscore a highly combustible situation in Iraq
   that could quickly spiral out of control.
   A rocket attack blamed on Iran-backed militia in December 2019 killed a
   U.S. defense contractor and wounded several U.S. and Iraqi soldiers at
   a military base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, touching off a
   cycle of escalation that led to Soleimani's killing and Iran launching
   retaliatory ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops,
   bringing the two rivals to the brink of full-fledged war.
   In a new show of force directed at Iran around the anniversary of
   Soleimani's killing, a U.S. nuclear submarine carrying 154 Tomahawk
   cruise missiles crossed the Strait of Hormuz on December 21.

References

   1. https://t.co/0OCL6IFp5M
   2. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1341862953637822468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw