We will respond to Ain al-Assad attacks if necessary: Pentagon

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, The US Department of Defense declared that the United States would respond to the attack of Ain al-Assad airbase in the western Iraqi governorate of al-Anbar “if it is necessary in the appropriate time and place.”

The Pentagon Press Secretary, John Kirby, said that the US is not interested in tensioning the conditions with Iran rather to protect its troops and fulfill the task in Iraq.

“We cannot attribute responsibility at this time, and we do not have a complete picture of the extent of the damage. We stand by as needed to assist our Iraqi partners as they investigate,” Kirby added. 

Kirby stressed that the last week strikes that targeted Iranian-backed groups were “legal”.

On March 3, unknowns targeted the US military Ain al-Assad airbase in al-Anbar governorate west of Iraq with at least 10 rockets.

The US Department of Defense said that no wounded were reported among the American forces in the base.

One American individual, a contractor, died of a heart attack sheltering during the attack, meanwhile American officials stressed to Reuters that the attacks have been “attributed to Iranian-backed groups.”

In a speech at the State Department outlining the Biden administration’s foreign policy priorities, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Biden would put diplomacy before military action, but that “we will never hesitate to use force when American lives and vital interests are at stake.”