Five days after the elimination of General Ghassem Soleimani, Iran launched, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, January 8, the response against the United States by firing missiles against two bases sheltering American soldiers in Iraq. These raids, claimed by Tehran, mark a turning point making fear a generalized blast on Iraqi soil, a regional escalation, even an open war between Washington and Tehran.
"Around 5.30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. in Paris) on January 7, Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US and coalition military forces in Iraq "Jonathan Hoffman, spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense, said in a statement. "It is clear that these missiles were fired from Iran and were aimed at at least two Iraqi bases hosting American soldiers and members of the coalition in Al-Assad and Erbil", he said.
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"Even more devastating responses"
The Pentagon is conducting a "Preliminary damage assessment". "As we assess the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect American personnel, their partners and allies in the region", added the spokesperson. No information on the nature of the damage or possible victims was communicated.
These strikes, which occurred in three waves, were carried out with "Dozens of missiles"announced the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, quoted on Iranian state television. Tehran has promised "Even more devastating responses" in case of a new attack and threatened to strike "Israel" and "Allies of the United States".
"We advise the American people to recall the American troops (deployed in the) region in order to avoid further losses and not allow the lives of its soldiers to be further threatened by the regime’s ever-growing hatred ” American, added the Iranian ideological army in a press release.
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly warned the Islamic Republic in recent days, is monitoring the situation "Up close with his national security team"said the White House.
Confusion over the departure of American troops
The shooting comes just after the funeral of General Ghassem Soleimani, who was assassinated on Friday in Baghdad with the Iraqi Abou Mehdi al-Mouhandis, leader of pro-Iran paramilitaries now integrated into the Iraqi security forces, has just ended.
While Donald Trump has clearly dismissed any plans to leave Iraq on Tuesday, some of the United States' western allies have announced their partial military withdrawal, fueling fears that current tensions will undermine the anti-jihadist struggle. The US president and his ministers have tried to dispel the impression of the mayhem the day before from a boondoggle.
A withdrawal of American troops "Would be the worst thing that could happen to Iraq"said the White House tenant, citing the imposing Iranian neighbor's danger to him. "At some point, we will leave", "But this moment has not come", he assured.
The Trump administration had created confusion on Monday by mistakenly transmitting to the Iraqi authorities a letter announcing preparations for the withdrawal of their soldiers. The letter referred to a vote by the Iraqi Parliament which on Sunday urged its government to expel foreign troops from the country after the anger over the elimination of Soleimani. Sign of a dialogue of the deaf that could continue, the Iraqi prime minister resigned Adel Abdel Mahdi confirmed on Tuesday that he had received a letter "Signed" and " very clear " of the American command announcing a military withdrawal.
First cracks in the international coalition
And to add to the climate of uncertainty, the international coalition against the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group is showing initial cracks. If France and Italy have announced their intention to stay in Iraq, the Canadians and the Germans announced Tuesday the redeployment of part of their soldiers to Jordan and Kuwait. NATO has decided to temporarily withdraw some of its personnel from Iraq.
After the real false total withdrawal of American troops from Syria, announced by Donald Trump twice in the past year before he turned around, this is yet another blow to the fight against IS, as experts keep warning of a resurgence of the jihadist group despite the elimination of its "Caliphate" Iraqi-Syrian territorial.
The death of General Soleimani while in Baghdad therefore continues to make waves. During the tribute to Kerman, his hometown in southeast Iran, a huge crowd demanded revenge for the cries of "Death to America", as when his coffin stopped over, Sunday and Monday, in Tehran and other Iranian locations. But a stampede left more than 50 dead and 200 injured, according to local officials quoted by Iranian media.
The Iranian parliament urgently adopted a law classifying all the American armed forces as 'Terrorists' after the death of the architect of Iran’s Middle East strategy, often considered a hero in his country for the fight against IS. But, when he personally threatened to hit Iranian cultural sites in the event of a military response from Tehran, Donald Trump backed down. "According to various laws, we are supposed to be careful with their cultural heritage", he said, before ensuring: "I like to respect the law. "
The debate is already raging, in the United States and beyond, on the very legality of the strike to eliminate Soleimani, which is more in a third country. President Trump "Absolutely had the appropriate legal basis"replied his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
Restraint appeals
Friday's raid that killed Soleimani has united and even expanded the ranks of "The axis of resistance" led by Tehran, its Lebanese ally of Hezbollah and the Iraqi Hashd. Rallyed under the banner of anti-Americanism, they announced Tuesday evening that they had formed new "Battalions".
Hoping to reach a " de-escalation ", several countries have stepped up diplomatic efforts. In a telephone interview with Iranian President Hassan Rohani, French President Emmanuel Macron reminded him "France's attachment to the sovereignty and security of Iraq" who "Must be reinforced by the presence on its soil of the international coalition" antidjihadistes.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to the " tense situation " with Donald Trump, while the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, reiterated his calls for restraint.
In this ultra-tense context, the head of Iranian diplomacy Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was to attend a meeting of the Security Council at the UN in New York on Thursday, said that he had been informed by the UN chief that the states -United States refused her Visa.
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