Blasts strike U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad amid rising regional tensions
Baghdad_ Explosions struck the compound housing the United States Embassy Baghdad on Saturday morning, security sources said, hours after airstrikes in the Iraqi capital killed two members of the Iran-aligned group Kataeb Hezbollah, highlighting escalating tensions linked to the broader conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
An AFP journalist reported hearing explosions followed by the sight of black smoke rising above the diplomatic complex in central Baghdad shortly after the blasts. Two security officials said the embassy compound was hit, although the precise cause remained unclear.
One security source said a drone had struck the complex, while another said a projectile believed to be a rocket had fallen within the diplomatic zone near the embassy’s air base. The U.S. embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The embassy incident occurred hours after overnight strikes targeted positions linked to Kataeb Hezbollah, a powerful militia group aligned with Iran. According to security sources, a missile struck a house used by the group at around 02:15 a.m. local time, killing what officials described as a “key figure” and wounding two other members.
Roughly two hours later, another airstrike hit a vehicle in eastern Baghdad, killing a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces, also known as Hashed al-Shaabi. A senior official within the organization told AFP the individual belonged to Kataeb Hezbollah.None of the sources identified who carried out the strikes, and the militia group has not publicly commented.
Iraq has long been an arena for rivalry between Washington and Tehran, with armed groups aligned with Iran maintaining a strong presence across the country. The situation has intensified since U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb.
28 triggered a broader regional conflict.Several Iran-backed factions operate under an umbrella movement known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The groups have claimed responsibility for repeated drone and rocket attacks targeting U.S. military facilities across the region.
Saturday’s incident marked the second reported attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad since the outbreak of the wider conflict.
Witnesses in the Arasat district of the capital said they heard multiple blasts followed by ambulance sirens and saw smoke rising above residential areas where several Iran-aligned groups maintain offices.
