US Embassy in Baghdad targeted in early morning strike

An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the attack destroyed part of the embassy’s air defence system, though further details were not immediately available.

According to reports, the missile struck a helipad inside the embassy compound.

Local security sources and witnesses told IraqiNews.com that a massive fireball and the sound of powerful explosions were heard within the highly fortified diplomatic mission at around 5:30 AM.

Preliminary reports indicated that the strike may have involved a suicide drone or a rocket that managed to bypass the compound’s defence perimeters.

Sources cited by IraqiNews.com said the attack may have disabled or severely damaged the C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) defence system, as no interception fire was reportedly heard before the impact.

The United States Department of State has not yet commented on the incident.

The strike comes amid rising regional tensions, with multiple US diplomatic facilities in Gulf countries hosting American troops targeted in recent days by retaliatory Iranian attacks.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply after Tehran was attacked by US and Israeli forces on February 28, further intensifying the ongoing confrontation in the region.