The responses continue. Two rockets fell on Wednesday evening January 8 in the green area of Baghdad, where the American embassy is located, announced an official of the security services. Journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) heard two explosions resound in central Baghdad, 24 hours after Iranian missile fire at American bases in Iraq from Ain Al-Assad and Erbil. These explosions were followed by the howling of green zone security sirens.
This is the third attack on the green zone since an American drone killed Iranian General Ghassem Soleimani five days ago in the capital. In late December, the US Embassy, located in the green zone, had already been targeted by thousands of supporters of Hachd Al-Chaabi, a coalition of pro-Iranian Shiite militias. American forces had to fire tear gas canisters to disperse them.
These attacks aim to avenge not only the death of General Soleimani but also that, which occurred during the same drone attack, of Commander Abou Mahdi Al-Mouhandis, number two of the Popular Mobilization units (Hachd Al-Chaabi) of Iraqi militias dominated by pro-Iran factions. The assassination of Abu Mahdi Al-Mouhandis, who held a high position in the state since Hachd Al-Chaabi is part of the Iraqi regular forces, sparked outrage in the country.
Iraqi groups threaten US with "retaliation"
One of the leaders of Hachd Al-Chaabi, Qaïs Al-Khazali, threatened Washington on Wednesday “Response (…) no less important than the Iranian response”, after Iranian fire on bases used by the US military in Iraq. Qaïs Al-Khazali, registered a few days ago on the list of 'Terrorists' by the United States, claimed in a Tweet that "Iran's first response to the assassination of martyred commander Soleimani" had " occurred ".
For his part, Noujaba, a component of Hashd Al-Chaabi and one of the most radical pro-Iran factions in Iraq, warned American soldiers in a statement: "Do not close your eyes as revenge for the martyr Mouhandis is approaching and it will be carried out by Iraqi hands until the departure of your last soldier. " Since the end of October, dozens of rockets have targeted American soldiers and diplomats in Iraq. These attacks have never been claimed, but Washington has attributed many of them to pro-Iran factions.
Frightened by escalating violence between Tehran and Washington, the US House of Representatives, dominated by Democrats, announced its intention to vote on a resolution on Wednesday. "Aimed at limiting the President's military acts against Iran".