No U.S. casualties were immediately reported, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that dozens of U.S. troops were killed in revenge for a U.S. airstrike last week that killed a top Iranian commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
Here’s what we know so far:
● Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq and claimed that at least US troops were killed. U.S. military said it was still assessing casualties.
● Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the attack a “slap in the face” of the United States but said more needed to be done to end the US presence in the region and avenge Soleimani’s death.
● President Trump will make a statement Wednesday.
● Airlines around the world are rerouting flights around Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
● Iraqi prime minister said he was informed ahead of time of the attack.
January 8, (at 7:******************************************************************************** AM AM
British leader calls for end to retaliatory strikes in US-Iran feud
LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he opposes any further military actions in the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran in the Middle East.
He made the statement in response to a question by Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn about whether Johnson opposes “further retaliation or escalations in violence. ”Confirming that he does, Johnson said,“ The United Kingdom has been working solidly since the crisis began to bring together our European allies in their response. ”
Johnson also said that the “United States has a right to protect its bases and its personnel” and that Soleimani was responsible for sustaining the “brutal Assad regime in Syria” and supplying weapons and explosives to terrorists. “That man [Soleimani] had the blood of British troops on his hands,” Johnson said.
On Monday, Johnson said that Britain would not support Trump’s threat to target Iranian cultural sites and issued a statement along with Germany and France that asked “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility.”
ByJennifer Hassan
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January 8,
************************************************ at 7: 08 AM EST
Kuwait news agency says hackers posted fake tweets about withdrawal of US troops
ISTANBUL – The state-run Kuwait News Agency said Wednesday that hackers published fake messages on its Twitter account that indicated that the US military would rapidly withdraw its troops from a base in Kuwait.
The two messages were quickly deleted. “Our social media account (Twitter) has been hacked,” the agency said.
The messages were posted around 5: am Eastern time. “Kuwait defense minister announced today that he has received an official letter from Commander-in-chief of Camp Arifjan declaring imminent withdrawal of all US military forces in 3 days,” the first said, referring to a U.S. base in Kuwait, on the Persian Gulf.
“Kuwait Defense Minister stated that receiving such letter from Camp Arifjan was unexpected and we are communicating with U.S. Department of Defense for more details and information, ”said the second.
The apparent hacking came amid soaring tensions between the United States and Iran after President Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq early Wednesday that it said were in retaliation for the killing.
Iran has also threatened retaliation against other U.S. bases in the region if U.S. strikes against Tehran are launched from those bases.
********** (ByKareem Fahim ********
January 8, at 5: AM EST
Iraqi leader informed ahead of time of Iranian strikes
“Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 8/1 / 1214696505682079745, we received an official oral message from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Iranian response to the assassination of Qasem Soleimani had begun, ”said a statement from Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s office.
“ And at the same time, the American side called us and rockets were falling on the American forces’ quarters at Ein al-Asad base in Anbar and Harir in Irbil and in other locations, ”the statement said.
No casualties have been reported, the statement said. The prime minister called on all parties to exercise restraint and respect Iraqi sovereignty. Abdul Mahdi has condemned the killing of Soleimani as an “assassination,” saying that the departure of U.S. and other foreign troops from Iraq is now the only way to de-escalate tensions.
Louisa Loveluck
Iraqi militia leader says it is now Iraqis’ turn to attack US targets
BAGHDAD – A leading militia commander in Iraq said Wednesday that it was time for the country to follow Iran’s example and avenge the US airstrike that killed Soleimani last week.
“Now it is time for the initial response to the assassination of the martyred commander Muhandis,” Qais al-Khazali, who leads the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, wrote on Twitter, referring to an Iraqi militia commander killed in the attack ordered by Trump.
“Because Iraqis are brave and zealous, their response will not be any less than that or Iran’s. That is a promise, ”he said.
Pictures of slain militia commander Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, have sprung up across Baghdad this week, tacked to monuments near the Green Zone and hanging right in front of the US Embassy.
By(Louisa Loveluck)
January 8, (at 5: AM EST
Airlines halting flights over Iran, Iraq airspace
BEIRUT – The flagship airlines of France, Germany and the Netherlands have restricted flights in Iran’s airspace due to increasing escalating tension in the area, following an attack by Iran on military bases in Iraq housing US troops.
Air France suspended flights over both Iranian and Iraqi airspace, Reuters reported the company saying Wednesday.
(Agence France-Presse Reported that KLM flights have been rerouted. “Until further notice, KLM has no flights over Iranian or Iraqi airspace,” a spokesman said.A spokesman for Lufthansa said the German airline is canceling its daily flight between Frankfurt and Tehran , as well as its next planned flight on Saturday to Irbil in Iraq, Reuters reported.
Irbil was one of the areas hit overnight in Iraq, when Iran launched more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in the country.
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday issued a notice prohibiting U.S. carriers “from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”
Other commercial airlines also rerouted flights, including Australian carrier Qantas , Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines, the Associated Press reported.
BEIRUT – The flagship airlines of France, Germany and the Netherlands have restricted flights in Iran’s airspace due to increasing escalating tension in the area, following an attack by Iran on military bases in Iraq housing US troops.
Air France suspended flights over both Iranian and Iraqi airspace, Reuters reported the company saying Wednesday.
(Agence France-Presse Reported that KLM flights have been rerouted. “Until further notice, KLM has no flights over Iranian or Iraqi airspace,” a spokesman said.A spokesman for Lufthansa said the German airline is canceling its daily flight between Frankfurt and Tehran , as well as its next planned flight on Saturday to Irbil in Iraq, Reuters reported.
Irbil was one of the areas hit overnight in Iraq, when Iran launched more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in the country.
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday issued a notice prohibiting U.S. carriers “from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”
Other commercial airlines also rerouted flights, including Australian carrier Qantas , Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines, the Associated Press reported.
(BySarah Dadouch
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January 8, (at 4:) ************************************************************************** AM EST
Iraqis living near US Embassy abandon their homes, fearing strike
BAGHDAD – Some Iraqi residents of the neighborhoods near Baghdad’s US Embassy have left their homes overnight and in recent days, fearing that the area might become a target for future rocket or missile attacks.
“People have left the area; others have started sleeping in their basements, ”said Dima Ahmed, who lives in the Harthiya neighborhood near the embassy. “They’re worried they’ll be hit by mistake.”
Security remains tight across Baghdad’s Green Zone, where supporters of an Iranian-backed militia besieged the U.S. Embassy last week. A portrait of Muhandis, the influential militia leader killed in the U.S. drone strike that targeted Soleimani’s convoy on Friday, now hangs opposite the sprawling compound.
January 8, (at 4:) ************************************************************************ AM EST
Kurdish leader fears autonomous region to be drawn in US-Iranian conflict
BAGHDAD – The prime minister of Iraqi autonomous Kurdish region said he spoke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo early Wednesday, urging de-escalation and saying that the region must not be dragged into the fray.
In a statement hours later, Masrour Barzani’s government stressed that Iraqi Kurdish region would “not be a field of conflict.”
The US and Iraqi militaries say that several rockets landed in the region’s capital, Irbil. No casualties have yet been reported.
******** (ByLouisa Loveluck******************************
January 8, (at 3: AM EST
Supreme leader says Iran ‘slapped’ US with missile strikes
ISTANBUL – Iran “
The strikes were in retaliation for the death of Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad last week. In an address in the holy city of Qom, Khamenei said that “military action is not enough” to avenge Soleimani’s death.
The “corrupt presence of the United States in the region should come to an end, ”Khamenei said. He then praised Soleimani, who was buried in his hometown Wednesday morning, as a “brave and prudent” military and political strategist.
“He would go into the heart of danger to keep others safe, ”the Tasnim News Agency quotes Khamenei as saying.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also alluded to the strikes in Iraq overnight, saying that the United States may have“ cut off the arm ”of Soleimani but that America’s“ legs ”would be cut off in the region, too.
Erin Cunningham
US ambassador to Israel says few U.S. casualtiesJERUSALEM – U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that early assessments of Iran’s missile strikes against U.S. forces suggested that U.S. casualties may be limited.
“Initial assessments are positive, and we pray these reports are true,” Friedman said before he addressed a forum on U.S. policy on Israeli settlements in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
(BySteve Hendrix **********************************
January 8, at 3 : AM EST
Emirati officials call for calm, say oil flow will not be affected
DUBAI – Emirati officials called Wednesday for de-escalation after Iranian missiles crashed down on US bases in Iraq, while maintaining that the flow of oil from the region so far was unaffected.
In atweet
UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei, meanwhile, said war has not yet broken out and the situation should not be exaggerated.
“We will not see a war,” he said at a conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters. “This is definitely an escalation between the United States, which is an ally, and Iran, which is a neighbor.”
He added that the OPEC cartel of oil producers would make up for any shortages caused by the tensions between the United States and Iran in the region.
“We are not forecasting any shortage of supply unless there is a catastrophic escalation, which we don ‘ t see, ”he said.
******** (By(Paul Schemm)
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January 8, at 2 : 00 AM EST
Britain condemns Iranian attack on bases in Iraq
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned Wednesday the Iranian missile attack on coalition bases in Iraq expressing concern over “reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles.”
In a statement, Raab urged Iran not to engage in further attacks, adding that a war in the Middle East would only help the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups. ”
January 8, 2020 at 1: AM EST
Iraq says no Iraqi casualties in Iranian missiles strike on US bases
The tweets said
************************************************************************************ missiles hit in the area of the al-Asad air base with two not exploding and five missiles hit Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdish region.
The US military has said it is still assessing casualties but Iran has claimed that dozens of U.S. Troops were killed in the missile attack.
Iran says the attack is in retaliation for a drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Soleimani.
Paul Schemm
January 8, (at) *************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Escalating tensions jolt financial markets
HONG KONG – Stock markets in Asia slumped, while oil and gold prices surged after the Iranian missile attack on US military bases intensified fears of a wider conflict.
Japan’s Nikkei was down around 2 percent midday Wednesday, and stocks in Hong Kong and Australia also declined.
The global benchmark Brent crude oil futures soared more than 3 percent to their highest since September, before paring some of the gains. U.S. stock futures also slid.
Gold – seen as a haven in times of uncertainty – surged above $ 1, an ounce for the first time in almost seven years, while the yen strengthened against the dollar.
Japan’s Nikkei was down around 2 percent midday Wednesday, and stocks in Hong Kong and Australia also declined.
The global benchmark Brent crude oil futures soared more than 3 percent to their highest since September, before paring some of the gains. U.S. stock futures also slid.
Gold – seen as a haven in times of uncertainty – surged above $ 1, an ounce for the first time in almost seven years, while the yen strengthened against the dollar.
By David Crawshaw
January 8, (at) ****************************************************************************************************: 31 PM EST
Contractor whose death Trump cites was a naturalized US citizen born in Iraq
An American defense contractor whose death last last month was cited by Trump amid escalating violence with Iran was identified Tuesday as an interpreter who was born in Iraq and lived in Sacramento.
Nawres Hamid, (***************************************************************************************, became a naturalized citizen in (***********************************************************, according to his widow. He was the father of two boys, ages 2 and 8, she said.
In recent years, as an Arabic interpreter for U.S. Forces in Iraq, Hamid was known to decorate his living space with pictures of the children, according to a co-worker.
Hamid was killed on Dec. when when US Authorities say an Iranian-backed militia fired rockets at a military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
The attack, which injured several coalition forces, prompted Trump to order missile strikes against Iraqi militias. That in turn led to a New Year’s Eve assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and a retaliatory strike by the United States that killed Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander.
Hamid’s death has been a rallying cry for Trump. In a tweet on Dec. (****************************************************************************************, Trump wrote: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified! ”
)
Aaron Davis********
January 8, (at) **************************************************************************************************: PM EST
Trump says he will make statement Wednesday in response to Iranian strike
WASHINGTON – In a tweet, Trump said he would address the nation Wednesday morning and sought to reassure Americans, declaring, “All is well!”
) “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” Trump said. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! ”
Despite Trump’s tweet, there were no public events listed for the president on the schedule sent out by the White House eight minutes earlier.
Democrats have responded to news of the strike by urging Trump not to resort to military action, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeting that America and the world “cannot afford war.”
WASHINGTON – In a tweet, Trump said he would address the nation Wednesday morning and sought to reassure Americans, declaring, “All is well!”
) “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” Trump said. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! ”
Despite Trump’s tweet, there were no public events listed for the president on the schedule sent out by the White House eight minutes earlier.
Democrats have responded to news of the strike by urging Trump not to resort to military action, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeting that America and the world “cannot afford war.”
(ByFelicia Sonmez
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January 8, 2020 at 9: (EST EST)
Iranian foreign minister says his country took ‘proportionate measures’
WASHINGTON – Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, in a message on
By Missy Ryan
January 8, (at 9:) ****************************************************************************************** PM EST
Warren and other Democrats call for de-escalation, voice concern for US troops
WASHINGTON – News of Iran’s strike broke as a crowd of more than 4, 01 0 waited for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) At a rally in Brooklyn Tuesday night. As soon as she took the stage, Warren said she wanted to open on a “very sober note.”
“For any of you who have been able to follow it, Within the last hour, the Iranian government has announced that it has sent missiles to attack our military bases in Iraq, ”she said. “My three brothers all served in the military. … My heart and my prayers are with our military and with their families in Iraq and around the world. This is a reminder of why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran. ”
Former Obama administration housing chief chief Julian Castro, who was in Brooklyn to introduce Warren at their first joint event since his endorsement of her , also opened with mention of the airstrikes.
“I wanted to just begin by saying that tonight we’re thinking about our men and women in uniform, especially those who are stationed in Iraq. And we’re praying for their safety, ”he said.
Castro, who went on to also mention the massive earthquake that had caused widespread damage in Puerto Rico, said developments on the island and in Iraq were “two very powerful and poignant reminders of why all of us have a role to play: engaging in our democracy, voting, and ushering in new leadership in with a new president . ”
Several of the other Democratic White House candidates took to Twitter to voice concern for US troops in Iraq in the wake of the Iranian strike.
“Tonight, Americans in Iraq are under fire,” former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg said. “My prayers are with them, their loved ones, and their families.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) Said that the United States “must do all we can to protect our servicemembers and Americans at risk.”
Klobuchar did not attend a previously scheduled fundraiser in Washington Tuesday night due to the Iranian strike.
(ByAmy B Wang and Felicia Sonmez
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January 8, (at 9:
Military unclear if there were US casualties in attacks on two military bases
WASHINGTON – A defense official said that US military did not yet have clear information about whether there had been American casualties in the attacks on the two sites in Iraq.
One U.S. military official, reached for comment earlier Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.
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January 8, 2020 at 8: 34 PM EST
Representative to Iranian supr eme leader appears to mimic Trump’s tweet
WASHINGTON – Moments after a military base was struck by missiles in Iraq, Saeed Jalili, a representative to Iran’s supreme leader,
The tweet appears to be mimicking President Trump, who
ByMichael Brice-Saddler and Shane Harris********
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January 8, (at 8:) *********************************************************************************** (PM EST)
Irbil military base targe ted in missile attack is major hub for U.S. and coalition military activity
WASHINGTON – Irbil, the capital of Iraq semiautonomous Kurdistan region, is a major hub for US and coalition military activity in Iraq and also an important launching point for the parallel mission against the Islamic State in neighboring Syria.
Many U.S. forces pass through Irbil on their way in and out of a network of much smaller bases in Syria. During the peak of the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq, military officials also oversaw a major battle in the nearby city of Mosul from Irbil. The city, like most of Iraqi Kurdistan, has been considered safer for U.S. personnel than other parts of Iraq.
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January 8, (at 7:
Iran launches more than a dozen missiles against two military bases in Iraq, Pentagon says
WASHINGTON – Iranian forces have launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday evening, marking the most significant Iranian attack in the growing conflict between iran and the united states.
the attack was launched about 5: pm Washington time, the Pentagon said.
“It is clear these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel, ”the statement said. Al Asad air base in western Iraq and at least one facility in Irbil were targeted.
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the region, ”the statement said. “Due to the dynamic nature of the situation, we will continue to provide updates as they become available.”
One U.S. military official, reached for comment Tuesday evening, said U.S. troops were still assessing what happened.
“They’re still in bunker mode,” the official said.
The al- Asad air base in Iraq was hit by at least six missiles about midnight local time, said a US defense official familiar with the situation.
The base, in Iraq’s western Anbar province, houses some American troops. Trump on Sunday called it “extraordinarily expensive,” threatening the Iraqi government with sanctions if the United States is told to withdraw all of its troops from Iraq and the government in Baghdad does not pay for it.
It was not immediately clear where on the base the missiles landed or if anyone was harmed. It would appear to mark one of the most aggressive attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq since the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah launched 31 missiles at a base near Kirkuk on Dec. (**********************************************************************************, killing a contractor and wounding several US troops.
The U.S. military launched airstrikes on targets affiliated with Iranian-backed forces two days later.
January 8, (at 6:
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims the ‘harsh. revenge ‘promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, report says
BEIRUT – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that the “harsh revenge” promised by Iran’s leaders has begun, according to the Fars News Agency. The agency said Iran had fired “tens” of ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq, but that could not be independently confirmed.
In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the missiles were fired to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani in an operation called “Operation Martyr Soleimani.”
The IRGC also released a video purporting to show the missiles being fired and streaking toward Iraq. U.S. military officials said they had been anticipating a strike of some sort at al-Asad and that personnel at the base had taken precautions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
********* (ByLiz Sly
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