THE U.S. military contractor whose rocket attack death raised tensions between America and Iran has been identified as a loving father and husband who only recently became a naturalized citizen.

Nawres Waleed Hamid, 33, died on December 27 when Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, fired rockets at a military base in Kirkuk, a northern city in Iraq.

3 Nawres Waleed Hamid, 33, was killed in December when Iran-backed forced fired rockets at a military base in Iraq Credit: Family handout

Hamid was born in Iraq but lived in Sacramento, California, and worked as a linguist for the U.S. military.

Donald Trump tweeted December 31 that Hamid’s death was the reason the U.S. “strongly responded” — and conducted “precision defensive strikes” targeting areas in Syria and Iraq on December 29.

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! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019

Those strikes killed 25 fighters of Kataeb Hezbollah.

In response, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was attacked by a mob on December 31 that chanted, “Death to America!”

3 Hamid leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 2 and 8 Credit: Family handout

It was after the embassy attack that Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who commentators have compared to being the equivalent of Vice President Mike Pence.

Soleimani’s death on Friday sparked outrage in the Middle East and threats of revenge in Iran.

Donald Trump says the US is 'prepared to attack' Iran if necessary

On Tuesday, the U.S. said Iran fired more than a dozen missiles targeting at least two Iraqi military bases hosting American forces and coalition personnel.

It was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.

After the attack, Trump insisted “All is well!” — but offered no idea of when or if he would retaliate, or if there were any casualties.

3 Trump said the U.S. 'strongly responded' to Iran after Hamid's death in a December tweet Credit: Reuters

Hamid’s wife, Noor Alkhali, told The Sacramento Bee she felt something was wrong in late December when he hadn’t been answering her messages.

A short time after, a rep from the man’s employer, Valiant Integrated Services, told her Hamid was dead.

“He was the only person I knew here,” Alkhalil said. “It still doesn’t feel real. It has been difficult to accept that he is no longer here.”

The pair came to the U.S. in 2011 when Alkhali was pregnant, and they planned to stay in California. Hamid, she said, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2017.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says missile strikes were a 'slap on the face' for the U.S

They have two young children together, ages 2 and 8.

“What would I return to in Iraq?” she questioned to the newspaper. “Now my focus is on my two children; they are my world.”

A co-worker of Hamid's said the 33-year-old worked as an Arabic interpreter and was known for putting up pictures of his kids, according to The Washington Post.

Hamid was buried at the Greater Sacramento Muslim Cemetery and his employer paid for the funeral, his wife said.

The Virginia-based company on Tuesday Virginia-based calling Hamid “a consummate professional and highly committed member of the Valiant team who was cherished and valued by his colleagues.”

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Rep. Doris Matsui, a Democrat who represents California, said our military depends on linguists like Nawres “in almost every mission around the globe, especially in Iraq.”

“Nawres served and sacrificed for our nation, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” she said.

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