Iranian supreme leader calls strikes ‘a slap in the face’ for the US after killing of Suleimani

This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops overnight, declaring the strikes to be retaliation for the killing last week of the senior Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

Al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province was hit 17 times, including by two ballistic missiles that failed to detonate, according to the Iraqi government. A further five missiles were targeted at a base in the northern city of Erbil in the assault, which began at about 1.30am local time on Wednesday (10.30pm GMT).

In what appeared to be an attempt to lessen the diplomatic fallout from bombing its neighbour, Iran notified Iraq shortly after midnight that an attack had begun and clarified that any strikes would be limited to locations where the US military was present, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said.

Adel Abdul Mahdi’s office said in a statement on Wednesday that at the same time, the Americans informed Iraq that military bases in Ain al-Asad and Erbil were under missile attack.

Iraq, the UK, Australia, Canada and the US said none of their personnel had been killed or injured and both Donald Trump and the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, appeared to signal they did not wish the situation to escalate further.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, described the bombings as “a slap in the face” for the US but warned Tehran still had a wider goal of expelling its enemy from the region. The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, said the “final answer” to the assassination would be to “kick all US forces out of the region”.

Iran's assault on US bases in Iraq might satisfy both sides Read more

An apparently relieved Trump struck an upbeat tone in the aftermath of the strikes. “All is well!” he declared on Twitter. He said casualty assessments were under way but “so far, so good”.

Zarif made clear the strikes had “concluded” early on Wednesday morning and characterised them as “proportionate measures in self-defence” rather than an act of war.

Javad Zarif (@JZarif) 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.

Iranian officials told state media, without presenting evidence, that at least 80 US personnel had been killed or injured in the strikes and that the toll was being hidden from the public.

Television stations ran interviews with people praising the strikes. “This showed our power,” one man said.

It is unclear whether the missile attack will mark an end to Iranian reprisals for the death of Suleimani, the head of al-Quds, an external operations wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or whether the leadership intends further retribution at a later date.

Analysts said the limited casualties could indicate the strikes – the first direct Iranian attack on a US base – were designed to allow Iran’s leaders to satisfy their domestic audience that Suleimani’s killing had been avenged, without forcing the Trump administration to retaliate.

Reuters news agency cited unnamed US and European officials as saying they believed Iran had deliberately sought to avoid wounding or killing US soldiers in its strikes.

Iran launches missiles on US airbases in Iraq at al-Asad and Erbil – live updates Read more

The office of the Iraqi prime minister said it had not received any reports of casualties on the Iraqi side and had not been officially notified of any losses among the US-led coalition.

Iraq refused any violation of its sovereignty and any attacks on its territory, the statement said. It added that Iraq was doing everything in its power “to contain the situation to avoid a devastating all-out war”.

In addition to the strikes, Iranian state media said the country had launched fighter jets that had penetrated Iraqi airspace, but it was unclear whether their mission had been defensive or intended as misdirection.

Iran’s Khamenei told an audience in the city of Qom: “We just gave [the US] a slap in the face last night. But that is not equivalent to what they did.”

He said: “Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region.”

Washington’s targeted killing of Suleimani in Baghdad had already stoked resentment of the US’s longstanding presence in Iraq. On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament passed a non-binding motion to expel US troops. The Iraqi government, however, has not said whether it will demand a withdrawal.

In the Iraqi city of Ramadi, a 50-year-old man who did not provide his name, said he feared that the moment US troops left, Iran would move in to take control of Iraq. And if the two powers continued to fight in Iraq, “we will pay the price”, he said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pieces of missile are seen near al-Baghdadi town after al-Asad airbase was targeted. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The US has said that both the attacked bases were on high alert in recent days in anticipation of an Iranian response to Suleimani’s assassination.

The sprawling al-Asad airbase, about 37 miles (60km) west of Baghdad, has been used by American and coalition forces since its capture during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, and has been visited by Trump and the vice-president, Mike Pence, in the past 18 months. It is estimated to host about 1,500 foreign troops.

IRGC officials were quoted in state media warning the US against retaliating for the missile strikes. They said Israel could be attacked if it did.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his country would strike back hard if targeted. “Whoever tries to attack us will be dealt the strongest blow,” he said, adding the country stood behind Trump’s decision to kill Suleimani.

Al-Asad has previously been a target of an Iranian-backed Shia militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, whose attacks on US and coalition troops triggered tit-for-tat strikes that culminated in the drone strike.

Threats between Washington and Tehran have escalated in the past few days, with Iran warning it had multiple “revenge scenarios”, while Trump said he could bomb Iranian cultural sites, a potential war crime.

The tensions have led US allies to start leaving Baghdad, which was buzzing as night fell on Tuesday with helicopters flying in and out of the city’s fortified diplomatic district, known as the Green Zone.

Canada, which leads the Nato training mission, said it was pulling out some of its 500 troops, and Germany said its presence in Iraq would be “temporarily thinned out”. Most of the Nato troops withdrawing were reported to be heading for Kuwait.

“We have temporarily suspended our training on the ground, and we are taking all precautions necessary to protect our people,” a Nato spokesperson said. “This includes the temporary repositioning of some personnel to different locations both inside and outside of Iraq.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Iraqi security forces collect pieces of missile as they inspect damage after the attack on al-Asad airbase. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The US-led coalition to counter Isis is also repositioning its forces to lessen their vulnerability to attack. Britain’s defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said non-essential personnel were being moved from Baghdad to Taji, about 19 miles to the north.

Responding to the strikes, Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, said: “We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition – including British – forces.

“We are concerned by reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles. We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation.

“A war in the Middle East would only benefit Daesh [Isis] and other terrorist groups.”