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Iranian attack would seem to be a strong warning to the US 3:07
(CNN) - Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two Iraqi military bases that house US troops overnight. If you want to be aware, this is what we know so far:
No victims
A US official told CNN that there were no initial reports of US victims of the attack, but an evaluation of the impact of the attacks is under way. The joint military command of Iraq said there were no casualties among Iraqi military forces.
MIRA: World leaders call for tension escalation and dialogue between the US and Iran
Iran warned Iraq before the attack
Iraq received "an official verbal message" from Iran about the missile attack before it happened. Iraq said the warning was transmitted to the United States.
The reason
The attack was a reprisal by Iran after the death of its main general, Qasem Soleimani, in an American air strike in Baghdad. The missiles represent a direct challenge to Trump, who launched a threat to Iran: "If Iran does anything it should not be doing, they will suffer the consequences and with great force," the president said.
How does the United States respond?
President Trump is expected to address the nation this morning. On Twitter, he said "everything is fine."
What led to the death of Soleimani
President Trump's decision to carry out the operation that ended with the death of Qasem Soleimani has left the international community reeling.
As diplomatic crises progress, this meets many requirements. The United States killed an Iranian general in Iraq, a country where he has maintained a constant military presence since the 2003 invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
In spite of how bad the relations between the US could be. UU. and Iran under the Trump administration, the death of a military officer from a drone attack surprised everyone, including the closest US allies, with their guard down.
Here is some background to all this:
The weeks before Soleimani's death had been difficult in Iraq
"Since the beginning of October, there was a tense confrontation between the Iraqi protesters [and the Iraqi government], opposing the Iraqi establishment backed by Iran," says Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the British Arab Understanding, an independent center of thought that promotes Conflict resolution, civil society and human rights in the Middle East.
For months, thousands of Iraqi citizens have protested
They have protested against government corruption and growing Iranian interference in the Iraqi political establishment. Security forces have taken strong measures against protesters, killing hundreds and injuring thousands
There was an attempt to storm the embassy
Days before Trump ordered the drone attack that killed Soleimani, hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters attempted to storm the US embassy. UU. in Baghdad, climbing the walls and forcing the gates of the complex.
They protested the US airstrikes at facilities in Iraq and Syria which, according to the Pentagon, were linked to the Iranian militias responsible for attacking US service personnel in Iraq.
