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Political tensions between the United States and the Middle East are growing, and the latest attack in an American embassy has Donald Trump threatening to retaliate. The United States president threatened Iran that they will retaliate in case any Americans were injured or killed.
Express reports that United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper has confirmed that the president has deployed over 750 paratroopers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division alert brigade to Kuwait following the incident. Esper also added that more troops are being prepared to get deployed over the next few days. Three officials have also spoken and said that there will be 4,000 soldiers on their way to the Middle East. Esper also explained that this is a precautionary measure that they need to take as threat levels against American personnel and facilities have increased following the attack.
6,000 supporters of an Iranian-backed militia bombed a United States compound in Baghdad due to their outrage of fallen militia members during the air strikes. The mourners and protesters went through the Green Zone without being stopped by the Iraqi military, breaking through the main doors and setting fire to the reception area. The US soldiers that were inside were forced to fire tear gas, warning shots and stun grenades at the mourners and protesters, who were also burning US flags. At the end of the attack, 62 Iraqi were injured while there were no reported casualties or injuries on the US staff present.
In the midst of the chaos, Republican Representative Mark Green has urged Iraq to take action against the attacks, as allies of the United States. Speaking to Fox News, Green said that it is time that Iraq took action and “be the ally that we’ve certainly treated them.” Green went on to explain that it is because the United States “liberated” Iraq from terrorist group ISIS, that Iraq should return the favor. “So they need to do their job to protect our forces and our assets and our Embassy.”
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called this attack on the embassy “State-sponsored terrorism abetted by Iranian proxies” in an interview with CBS.
