US Not Hastening to Respond to Rocket Attack in Iraq  

The United States is “assessing the impact” of Wednesday’s rocket attack on its forces in Iraq, before taking action, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “What we won’t do is make a hasty or ill-informed decision that further escalates the situation or plays into the hands of our adversaries,” she added. President Joe Biden earlier on Wednesday promised to identify “who is responsible and … make judgments at that point.” According to Iraqi officials, ten rockets hit Ain al-Asad air base Wednesday, home to American and other foreign troops. One US civilian contractor died during the attack after suffering a “cardiac episode” while sheltering, the Pentagon said. Over the past year, Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have targeted US military and diplomatic facilities stationed in the war-torn country, and Wednesday’s incident is also believed to have been carried out by troops backed by Tehran. Last Thursday, Washington conducted air strikes near the Syrian-Iraqi border, bombing militia compounds in the first known military action of the Biden administration