BAGHDAD: 80 people have been killed as Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases used by the US military, Tehran media claimed, in the first act of the Islamic republic s promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general.
The Pentagon said it was still “working on initial battle damage assessments” after “Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq.”
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” the Pentagon said.
There were no immediate reports on casualties but the Pentagon said it had been ready, after days of steadily mounting tension and exchanges of threats of war.
“These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region,” a spokesman said.
Iranian state television reported an attack on one base housing US personnel, saying it was in response to Friday’s killing in a US drone strike of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, one of the most important figures in the country´s government.
Also killed was a top Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was with Soleimani just outside Baghdad international airport when the US drone struck.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that the Ain al-Assad base was hit with dozens of missiles, warning that a US counter-attack would be met with an even “more crushing response.”
The potentially lethal new development followed days of sabre rattling between Washington and Tehran, coupled with growing confusion over the future of US troops in Iraq.
At Soleimani’s funeral in Iran, top Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami said Iran would “take revenge.” If further US attacks occur, “we will set fire to what they love,” he said.
In the Iranian city of Kerman, meanwhile, tragedy deepened an already highly tense situation when more than 50 people died in a crowd stampede at Soleimani’s funeral, Iranian media reported.
The influential figure, responsible for Iran’s regional network of official and unofficial military allies, was due to be buried in his home town when the crowd got out of control.
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