An explosion was reported at a facility used by the United States government in Baghdad on Tuesday night, the day before the Islamic Republic’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, was scheduled to make his first state visit to the neighboring country.
Iraqi authorities released a statement describing the incident as occurring at 11:00 p.m. in an area adjoining the Baghdad International Airport that is normally operated by U.S. military advisors.
Local officials said there were no claims of responsibility for the blast, and the matter is currently under investigation.
The U.S. Embassy confirmed the incursion at the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound and stated, “there are no reported casualties, and we are assessing the damage and its cause.”
An Iraqi security source told AFP that “two Katyusha-type rockets” were responsible for triggering the detonation.
A spokesperson for Kataib Hezbollah, a Tehran-backed militia in Iraq, denied any involvement in the disturbance and speculated the attack was done to disrupt Pezeshkian’s diplomatic trip.
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