Following the injury of seven American servicemen in a rocket attack on Ain al-Asad base in Iraq, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that the United States "will not tolerate" any attacks targeting its forces in the Middle East. Austin stated during a press conference in Annapolis, "Make no mistake: the United States will not tolerate any attacks on our forces in the region."
Earlier on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official reported that the attack resulted in injuries to five American servicemen and two American contractors, all in stable condition.
In a statement issued by the Pentagon regarding a call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the Pentagon described the rocket attack on Ain al-Asad base as "an attack launched by an Iran-aligned militia on U.S. forces," noting that the two ministers warned that it "constitutes a serious escalation."
Monday's attack is the third in less than a month targeting Ain al-Asad base, located in western Iraq, which hosts American and other coalition forces fighting ISIS.
It is noteworthy that these attacks increased shortly after the outbreak of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, though their frequency has significantly decreased since then.
Monday's attack comes amid heightened concerns about the expansion of the conflict in the region, particularly if Iran and its allies launch an attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah military leader in southern Beirut last week.
Israel has remained silent on the assassination of Haniyeh, while it has claimed responsibility for the strike in southern Beirut. The assassinations have intensified fears of military escalation in the Middle East amid the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
