Lagatar24 Desk
Baghdad, Iraq: An explosion rocked a US-led coalition military base at Baghdad International Airport late Tuesday, just hours before Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s scheduled visit to Iraq. The blast, which occurred at 11:00 PM local time, was confirmed by Iraqi security forces, though the exact origin of the explosion remains unclear.
According to a statement shared on social media by Iraqi Major General Tahseen Al Khafaji, spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, “an explosion was heard inside Baghdad International Airport in the area occupied by international coalition advisors.” Despite the incident, air traffic remained unaffected, and flights continued as scheduled.
Preliminary reports from a senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggest that two Katyusha rockets were responsible for the explosion. “One struck the wall of the Iraqi anti-terrorist forces compound, while the second landed within the base hosting international coalition forces led by the United States,” the official revealed.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and investigations are ongoing.
Escalating Tensions Ahead of Presidential Visit
The explosion comes at a sensitive time, as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to make his first foreign visit to Iraq since taking office in July. The relationship between Iraq and Iran has grown closer over the years, with Iran emerging as one of Iraq’s leading trade partners and wielding significant political influence in Baghdad. Iranian-backed factions play a dominant role in Iraq’s parliament and government.
Jaafar al-Husseini, spokesperson for the Iranian-backed Ketaeb Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) in Iraq, condemned the explosion as an act designed to “disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad.” Al-Husseini called on Iraqi security services to identify those responsible for what he termed “an attack.”
Broader Regional Context
The attack is the latest in a string of incidents targeting US-led coalition forces in both Iraq and Syria, as tensions continue to rise in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East have increasingly launched drone and rocket strikes against coalition forces over the past year, drawing retaliatory strikes from the United States.
The United States currently has about 2,500 troops stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of its international coalition efforts to combat the remnants of the Islamic State (IS). Despite this, Iraqi officials maintain that they are fully capable of handling any remaining IS threats without external assistance.
Negotiations between Iraq and the United States have been ongoing to implement a phased withdrawal of US-led anti-jihadist forces from the country in an effort to reduce tensions and prevent Iraq from becoming embroiled in regional conflicts.
As Iraq grapples with the delicate balance of maintaining security while managing regional political dynamics, this latest explosion underscores the fragile state of security in the country and the ongoing challenges posed by external influences.
