Drone strikes on US troops stationed in Iraq have occurred, and Iran is a likely perpetrator. Two attacks were made on the base, and several Americans were hurt by one of the weapons.
At about 6 a.m. local time on October 18, two kamikaze drones flew dangerously close to the al Asad airfield in Iraq, where American troops are stationed. The drones were engaged by the base’s point defense weapons, which destroyed one of them. However, the other drone made it to the hangar before exploding. Multiple American servicemen were hurt in the attack, and they were all checked out for possible brain injuries from the blast. A second drone, apparently missing its objective and crashing in the desert, was shot down about midday on the same day, close to the al Harir airbase, where there are also US forces.
The United States government is reluctant to comment on who they believe is responsible for the attacks, but a relatively unknown terrorist organization known as Tashkil al-Waritheen has claimed responsibility for the second strike. There is a connection between this organization and the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which “specializes in unconventional warfare.” The Quds Force is the primary instrument of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, employing terrorist organizations to carry out the policies of the Tehran regime and providing them with material and financial support.
It is likely that Iran’s religious officials authorized the drone assaults if they were carried out by a group affiliated with the Quds.
The Quds Force has an extreme animosity toward the United States and Israel. When reporters remark that Hamas and Hezbollah have Iran’s support, they are referring to Quds Force funding. After an attack in December 2019 on a US base in Iraq claimed the life of an American contractor, US president Donald Trump ordered a drone strike to take out Quds commander Qasem Solemaini in January 2020. It’s likely they’re responsible for the most recent strikes as well, possibly in retaliation for the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
