The assault against US diplomats in Iraq transpired on the initial day of the truce consented to by both the United States and Iran.
US Embassy in Baghdad / © Associated Press
Employees stationed at the US embassy, located in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, experienced several drone-based assaults. The offensive targeting American diplomats was executed by a local, Iranian-supported militia in proximity to Baghdad International Airport.
This information was made public on Friday, April 10, according to a CNN report citing a State Department spokesperson.
“We communicated our firm denouncement to the Iraqi government, insisting on a thorough probe and subsequent accountability,” the representative stated, further noting that the aggression occurred on Wednesday, April 8.
The State Department representative did not specify which particular militia was thought to be behind the attack, but confirmed that all embassy staff are now secure.
The US Embassy disseminated a security advisory on Wednesday, stating that “Iraqi terrorist factions connected to Iran perpetrated numerous drone strikes in the vicinity of the Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport.”
The subsequent day, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau summoned Nizar Hirullah, the Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, “to convey the United States government's powerful condemnation regarding the appalling terroristic acts carried out by Iranian-linked militias operating within Iraq against American diplomatic personnel and establishments, notably the ambush of American diplomats in Baghdad on April 8.”
Since the commencement of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, there have been numerous aggressions aimed at American personnel and installations in Iraq by Iran’s associates.
Iran ceasefire — latest news
However, the incident on Wednesday assumed heightened importance due to its occurrence on the very first complete day of the ceasefire agreement, which was sanctioned by both the US and Iran.
As a quick reminder, on Tuesday, April 7, US President Donald Trump announced that The US is postponing strikes on Iran for a period of two weeks.
But as early as April 8, the Iranian authorities claimed that the US was breaching the ceasefire arrangement.