Top: TheUSSDwight D. Eisenhower and theUSSGerald R. Ford carrier strike groups in November 2023 Bottom: Map of Iran-backed strikes (red) and American counterstrikes (blue) in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria
Date
17 October 2023 – 4 February 2024 (3 months, 2 weeks and 4 days) 22 April 2024 – 23 December 2024 (8 months and 1 day)
On 17 October 2023, amid theGaza war, Iraqi militants launched adrone strike onal-Asad Airbase, a United States base in northern Iraq.[42][43] The airstrike was intercepted.[44] The next day, a false alarm in the airbase caused the death of a civilian contractor fromcardiac arrest.[32] On 20 October, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave their embassy inBaghdad and consulate inErbil.[45]
On 20 November, eight US and coalition soldiers were injured from a ballistic missile attack, and there was minor infrastructural damage after the air base was attacked by a ballistic missile.[46]
On 20 January 2024, theIslamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for striking the base with dozens of missiles which injured several US military personnel and an Iraqi service member.[47][48] At 6:30 p.m.Baghdad time, the IRI launched multipleballistic missiles and otherrockets at the Al-Asad Airbase. The United States military attempted to defend the base with Patriotmissiles. More than 15 MIM-104 Patriotmissiles were launched to defend the base.[49]
On August 5, 2024, a missile attack targeted theAl-Asad airbase in westernIraq, resulting in injuries to at least five US servicemembers and two contractors.[50] The attack involved the firing of twoKatyusha rockets, which landed inside the base.[51] One of the injured servicemembers sustained serious injuries.[52] The incident is seen as a potential escalation in the ongoing tensions betweenIran and theUnited States.[53]
Al-Harir air base
On 8 November 2023, an armed drone targetedal-Harir air base hosting US forces in northern Iraq.[54] On 25 December 2023, theIslamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the base which injured three US soldiers, one being critical.[55][56]
Other attacks in Iraq
On 9 November, US forces were struck three separate times in 24 hours, including drone strikes inAl-Asad Airbase andAl-Harir Air Base, as well as anIED attack on a patrol near theMosul Dam.[57]
On 10 September, two rockets exploded in the vicinity of American personnel stationed inCamp Victory, nearBaghdad International Airport. No casualties were reported.Jaafar al-Husseini, the spokesperson of Kata'ib Hezbollah, said that the attack aimed to disrupt Iranian presidentMasoud Pezeshkian's visit to Baghdad, which was scheduled the following day.[60][61]
On 18 October 2023, a drone strike by an Iranian proxy on theal-Tanf garrison resulted in over 20 injuries.[9] On 1 November, a minor drone strike was reported at theal-Tanf garrison.[62]
Al-Omar field
On 4 February 2024, a drone struck a training ground in Al-Omar field inDeir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, which houses US troops, according to theSyrian Democratic Forces. Though no casualties were reported among US forces, at least seven Kurdish fighters were killed and 18 injured. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack.[63][64] The SDF condemned the attack, and said it had "every right to respond".[65]
Other attacks in Syria
On 24 October 2023, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for multiple drone strikes on US bases in eastern Syria, notably al-Omar oil field inDeir ez-Zor Governorate and al-Shaddadi in theAl-Hasakah Governorate.[66]
On 10 January 2024, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on Hemo base in north ofHasakah province. As a result of this attack, the US withdrew from the base, evacuating 350 US soldiers and relocating them to Tal Baidar base.[12] Tal Baidar base was previously targeted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq in November 2023.[67]
On 21 April 2024, five rockets were fired fromZummar, Iraq towards theKharab al-Jir base in Syria which houses US and coalition soldiers in the first major attack since early February. No US personnel were injured. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights blamed the attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Iraqi authorities launched a search in Nineveh province, locating and burning the vehicle used in the attack.[68][69]
On 9 August 2024, a kamikaze drone struck the US military base Rumalyn Landing Zone in eastern Syria, injuring eight US soldiers.[70][71]
On 13 August 2024, six rockets targeting an US airbase inDeir ez-Zor Governorate fell near the facility. As a response to the strike, US-led coalition launched artillery strikes.[72]
On 28 January 2024, aone-way drone attack took place at a US outpost inJordan, resulting in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others.[31][35]
On 23 June 2025, theIslamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched a missile attack onal-Udeid Air Base, a forward headquarters ofUS Central Command nearDoha, Qatar, as a response to the USbombing several nuclear sites in Iran days prior. Initial reports described fourteen ballistic missiles being launched at the base, which was by then evacuated, with thirteen of them having been intercepted before they struck their target. No casualties occurred in the attack, and there was no significant damage, though theDepartment of Defense later acknowledged that ageodesic dome containing communications equipment had been hit.[73]
US response
US retaliatory airstrike in northAbu Kamal, Syria, 12 November 2023. According to the US, the target was anIRGCtraining facility.
On 27 October 2023, the United States military responded to the airstrikes by bombing weapons and ammunition storage facilities inAbu Kamal,Syria withF-16 fighter jets.[74][75] They further stated that a total of 16 military airstrikes were conducted byIran-backed groups; 12 inIraq and four inSyria.[74]
On 8 November, the US Department of Defense announced that they had carried out attacks against the IRGC and IRGC-linked targets inDeir ez-Zor.[76] According to theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights, 9 workers in the facilities were killed in the strikes.[77]
On 12 November, theUnited States Department of Defense andCentral command announced additional US airstrikes targeting IRGC affiliated groups in response to continued airstrikes against US forces in the region. The attacks targeted a safe house and training area used by militias inMayadin andAbu Kamal[78] and resulted in the killing of 8 militiamen.[79]
On 21 November, a USAFAC-130gunship retaliated against aKata'ib Hezbollah vehicle nearAbu Gharib, in response to the Islamic Resistance In Iraq's 20 November missile attack on US forces at Ain al Assad Airbase.[13] According to US assessments, several Iran-backed fighters were killed in the strike.[80] The following day, US fighters jets conducted airstrikes on IraqiKata'ib Hezbollah facilities, killing over eight fighters.[81][23]
On 4 December, a US airstrike nearKirkuk killed five Iraqi militants as they attempted to fire explosive projectiles at US forces. They were identified as members of an Iran-backed militia. TheIslamic Resistance in Iraq claimed that the five people killed were its members, and vowed retaliation against the US[24]
On 26 December, the US conducted an airstrike on aPMU base inHillah which killed one soldier and injured 20 others, with at least 12 being members of theMinistry of Interior.[25]
On 4 January 2024, the United States carried out a drone strike on the headquarters ofHarakat Al-Nujaba in Baghdad, with the specific target beingMushtaq Talib al-Saidi, a senior leader of Harakat al Nujaba held responsible for orchestrating attacks against US forces.[82] The strike resulted in the death of four individuals, including al-Saidi, and left six others wounded. According to Iraqi militia sources and police reports, the attack involved two rockets fired from a drone, which struck a vehicle within the headquarters.[83][26]
On 23 January 2024, the United States launched a series of airstrikes on three facilities used by Iran-backed militias in Iraq.[84][85] The United States defence secretary,Lloyd Austin, announced the strikes in a statement the same day.[86] The strikes targeted several militia groups with connections to Iran, includingKataib Hezbollah.[85][87] The Iraqi government later accused the United States of escalating existing regional tensions. Lloyd Austin defended the attacks.[88] Kataib Hezbollah announced the suspension of operations against the US on 30 January.[89]
Kataib Hezbollah also distanced its activities from Iran claiming "our brothers in theaxis – especially in the Islamic Republic – do not know how we work jihad".[89]
On 2 February, the US launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, in response to an attack that killed three US troops in Jordan. According to theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 35 Iran-backed militiamen were killed in the strikes in Syria.[22] Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces announced that 16 of their fighters were killed in the airstrikes.[28]
On 7 February, a US drone strike on a vehicle in the Mashtal neighborhood of Baghdad reportedly killed a commander of Kata'ib Hezbollah. Another source reported that the attack targeted a vehicle used by the Popular Mobilization Forces and killed three people. US officials did not make a comment about the attack. According to Reuters, other pro-Iranian groups were also hit in the attack.[90][91] Following the airstrikes, militia attacks against US forces were halted.[11]
July 2024 airstrikes
On 30 July, the US carried out an airstrike near Babylon, Iraq, killing four members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units and aHouthi drone specialist[92] and injuring four others. Iraq condemned the strike saying the US-led military coalition committed a "heinous crime" by targeting security sites and said the attacks were a serious violation of the coalition's mission and mandate.[30]
Iraqi government response
On 5 January 2024,IraqiPrime MinisterMohammed Shia' Al Sudani announced that the Iraqi government would begin a process towards the removal of the US-led international military coalition following the American drone strike onBaghdad which assassinated Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi.[93] After the 23 January 2024 US attacks in Iraq, the US and Iraqi government agreed to begin talks on the future of the US military presence in Iraq, including discussions on the feasibility of a complete US military withdrawal from Iraq.[94]
On March 22, Iraqi Foreign MinisterFuad Hussein met withJake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the US President, during his trip to the United States.[95] On 23 March, it was announced that Iraqi PM al-Sudani will visit theWhite House inWashington DC on 15 April to hold formal talks about reducing the presence of the US-led military coalition in Iraq.[96]
In September 2024, the Iraqi government and the US reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq. Reports stated that the agreement would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026.[97]
Developments
On 30 January 2024,Kata'ib Hezbollah announced the suspension of all its military operations against US forces in the region after theTower 22 drone attack which killed 3 US soldiers and injured 47 others. They announced this decision was taken out of preventing "embarrassment" of the Iraqi government which has called for all resistance parties to de-escalate the situation.[98]
On 1 April 2024, Abu Ali al-Askari, security chief of Kata'ib Hezbollah based in Iraq, said the organisation was prepared to arm "Islamic Resistance" inJordan and is ready to provide "12,000 fighters with light and medium weapons, anti-armor launchers, tactical missiles, millions of rounds of ammunition, and tons of explosives" to "defend the Palestinians and avenge the honour of Muslims." On the same day, al-Tanf garrison in Syria was attacked by a one-way attack drone which was intercepted.[99]
On 19 June 2025, Kata'ib Hezbollah leader Abu Ali al-Askari vowed to attack U.S. bases if the United States entered theIran–Israel war in support of Israel, stating "should the United States enter into this war, the derangedTrump shall forfeit all the trillions he dreams of seizing from this region. Operational plans have been established for that purpose."[100]
.svg)
