The only information I have is what I’m seeing on Twitter, so take it with a grain of salt for now. I wouldn’t expect Jennifer Griffin to blow a scoop this big, though.
From senior US military source in Iraq:
“Under missile attack from Iran. These are either cruise missiles or short range ballistic missiles. All over the country.”— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) January 7, 2020
I am told from US official these are short range ballistic or cruise missiles being fired from Iranian territory at multiple US bases and targets inside Iraq. https://t.co/xKh2NPiDyz
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) January 7, 2020
WaPo has it too:
U.S. defense official confirms that Al Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar province has been hit by at least six rockets tonight. Additional details unclear. But very credible source.
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 7, 2020
Also this, which I think is referring to the same base as in the last tweet:
US and Iraqi sources confirmed six rockets landed in Assad base, on the American side, Mahdi Bakhtiari from Iranian tanseem news agency is saying they were Ballistic missile revenge for Soleimani. https://t.co/iuY0RUX0aS
— Mustafa Salim (@Mustafa_salimb) January 7, 2020
Does the U.S. strike back tonight or do we wait until tomorrow?
Update: This is the “start.”
Fars News agency in Iran says this is video of a missile attack that has been launched in Al Assad airbase in NW Iraq. Home to Iraqi and U.S. forces. In their own words "Start of Iran's vengeful US retaliation / Moment of Iranian missile firing at US base in Ain al-Assad" https://t.co/5PDU4cNUYP
— Doug Dunbar (@cbs11doug) January 7, 2020
Noah Rothman notes that Iranian missile attacks aren’t new. They’re what started the chain reaction that led to Soleimani’s killing, in fact: The death of a U.S. contractor in a rocket strike by Iranian-backed militias is what helped convince Trump that it was time to hit back. The assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad cinched it.
At the moment I’m only seeing reports of al-Asad airbase being targeted. I don’t know why Griffin’s source believes it’s “all over the country.” I’m going to take that out of the headline.
Update: Were these missiles launched from inside Iran or by Iranian militias based in Iraq? Remember that Khamenei reportedly told his advisors that he wants Iranian fingerprints on the reprisals for Soleimani’s death, an unusual move for a country that prefers to use proxies to do its dirty work. If the missiles were fired from Iran then we’re looking at targets inside Iran. That’s real war.
Update: The question five minutes ago: What else is coming? The question five minutes later: Is anything else coming? Or is hitting al-Asad some sort of token retaliation by Iran with nothing further planned in hopes that the U.S. doesn’t retaliate?
BREAKING: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps warns of more "crushing responses" if U.S. military retaliates – state TV
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 7, 2020
I think Trump will respond no matter what, but American casualties will force his hand. What if there are no American casualties?
Rep. Michael Waltz says if Iran is only targeting infrastructure and not US troops, it could be a sign they want to de-escalate pic.twitter.com/yOxbJOIRzx
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 7, 2020
Update: It’s not just al-Asad according to ABC. And they *are* being fired from Iran itself.
“This morning, courageous fighters of the IRGC’s Air Force launched a successful operation called Operation Martyr Soleimani, with the code ‘Oh Zahra’ by firing tens of ground-to-ground missiles at the base of the terrorist and invasive U.S. forces,” the country’s state-run news outlet ISNA reported.
A U.S. official confirms to ABC News that ballistic missiles have been fired from inside Iran at multiple U.S. military facilities inside Iraq on Wednesday morning, local time. The facilities include Erbil in northern Iraq and Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, the official said.
Update: While all this is playing out, bear in mind that Iraq’s Iranian-stooge prime minister received that strange “oops” letter about U.S. withdrawal yesterday and decided that he was going to treat it as a promise.
While the Pentagon insists that a letter regarding the departure of troops was sent in error to the Iraqi government last night, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said that its contents had been heeded, and withdrawal was now a necessity…
Addressing his cabinet in its first meeting since the strike, the prime minister sounded exasperated over the notion that the United States had not intended to officially notify him that a troop withdrawal had begun.
“They said it’s a draft,” he said. “Okay, it’s a draft — but we received it. … If I don’t trust you and you don’t trust me, how are we supposed to proceed?”
The U.S. is not withdrawing from Iraq so long as it’s under fire from Iran. Trump, and the Pentagon, would never tolerate such a show of weakness.
Update: Yep, it’s a reprisal.
Iranian official tweets flag just after strikes, mirroring move Trump made after Suleimani strike Thursday. https://t.co/8L5v8vGVfu
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 8, 2020
Update: The Pentagon is confirming it. Note the reference to “missiles,” not “rockets,” suggesting a more sophisticated and destructive weapon.
Pentagon: "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq."
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 8, 2020
"It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil."
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 8, 2020
They were launched from Iran, or so says DOD.
Update: A presidential address is in the works.
Confirmed: The WH is planning for a possible address from President Trump tonight. Plans could change but I’m told aides are working on it.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) January 8, 2020
If he’s speaking tonight, with America smarting in the first hours after the attack, I’m guessing this isn’t going to be a call for de-escalation.
Update: As of 8:20 ET, there are no reports of U.S. casualties. Did Iran shoot to kill in these attacks or were the missiles deliberately aimed to avoid American troops so as not to prompt a counterattack?
Update: Annnnd now the word is that Trump won’t speak tonight, which is for the best. No need to act in haste, especially if there are no casualties. Think it through.
Update: If this is true — big if — Iran’s offering Trump an exit ramp. A lot depends now on whether Americans were killed or wounded.
Iran saying it will escalate if attacked by US, or per our @aliarouzi , will stop if no US response.
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) January 8, 2020
Update: Fair chance that there really aren’t any casualties, which would be great news for all sorts of reasons.
No US casualties reported yet, says US official. A total of 15 Iranian missiles hit al Asad and Irbil. 10 struck al Asad and only 1 hit Irbil. 4 blew up in flight. US was tracking the launches and personnel at the bases had advanced warning, giving them time to take cover.
— David Cloud (@DavidCloudLAT) January 8, 2020
Update: Between the Iranian foreign minister’s statement tonight and Trump’s new tweet, it sounds like we might be headed for a ceasefire with no further reprisals. Whew.
Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.
We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1214739853025394693
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