Donald Trump threatened Tuesday December 31, 2019 to charge the "High price" in Tehran after the attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad by thousands of pro-Iran protesters at the cry of "Dead to America". The already high tension between Washington and Tehran has gone up a notch, reinforcing fears of an escalation which degenerates into direct military confrontation between the two enemy countries.
"Iran will be held fully responsible for the lives lost or damage to our facilities. They will pay THE HIGH PRICE! ", warned the President of the United States in a tweet. "This is not a warning, it is a threat", he added.
"Today’s attack was orchestrated by terrorists – Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis and Qaïs Al-Khazali – and supported by Iran’s allies, Hadi Al-Amari and Faleh Al-Fayyad", Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted. "All of them were photographed in front of our embassy", also wrote the head of the American diplomacy by joining three photographs.
The Pentagon will send " at once " about 750 additional soldiers in the Middle East, "In response to recent events in Iraq", finally announced Defense Minister Mark Esper. of the "Additional forces" are ready to be deployed " in the coming days "added Mr. Esper.
"Surprisingly daring"
Iranian diplomacy for its part denounced "The surprising audacity of American officials" who "Attribute to the Islamic Republic of Iran the demonstrations of the Iraqi people against their cruel acts".
On Tuesday evening, hundreds of supporters of pro-Iran groups in Iraq held a sit-in outside the US Embassy to protest the US air strikes that killed twenty-five fighters from Hezbollah’s brigades on Sunday.
This Shiite armed group, a member of Hachd Al-Chaabi, a coalition of Iraqi paramilitaries dominated by pro-Iran factions and integrated into the regular forces, is accused by Washington of a rocket attack that killed an American on Friday.
For two months, the United States had failed to respond to ten such attacks on its interests in Iraq. But the weekend's reprisals heightened anti-American sentiment in the country.
"No plan to evacuate" the Chancellery
As of Tuesday morning, leaving in funeral procession, thousands of fighters and supporters of the Hashd entered the ultra-secure green area of Baghdad, where the American Embassy and the highest institutions in the country are located, without being stopped by the Iraqi forces posted at the entrances.
They then entered the vestibule where embassy security usually screens visitors, burned outside facilities, ripped off surveillance cameras, threw stones at the turrets of its guards and covered the armored windows with flags of the Hachd and Hezbollah brigades. Iraqi security forces tried in vain to stop them.
From inside the embassy, US forces briefly fired live ammunition before using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the demonstrators. The Hachd reported 62 wounded.
The US government initially raised its voice towards the Iraqi authorities, asking them to "Protect the embassy" and warning that the United States was ready to "Defend their nationals".
The Pentagon sent reinforcements to the Marines, who arrived quickly by helicopter inside the gigantic embassy complex.
But Washington warned not to have "No plan to evacuate" the Chancellery, whose non-essential staff was already recalled in May. The American ambassador, on a private trip outside Iraq, was returning to his post.
Two hours after the start of the attack, the first mini