Explosion Near US Base in Baghdad Hours Before Iranian President’s Visit
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian began his first official visit to Iraq on Wednesday, amid escalating regional tensions and an explosion the night before at a US coalition site in Baghdad.
Despite strong economic and religious ties due to proximity and Iraq’s Shia majority, Baghdad has tried to maintain a balance between its relations with Tehran and Washington.
With Iranian-backed militias and around 2,500 US troops stationed in Iraq, the country is at the center of two competing spheres of influence.
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On Tuesday evening, shortly before Pezeshkian’s visit, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, led by Maj. Gen. Tahseen Al Khafaji, confirmed the explosion via social media. “At 23:00 (2000 GMT), an explosion was heard inside Baghdad International Airport in the area occupied by international coalition advisors,” the statement read.
Iraqi security forces publicly stated they were unable to determine the “type or cause of the explosion” and noted that “no group has claimed responsibility.”
However, a senior Iraqi military official, speaking anonymously to AFP, said that “two Katyusha-type rockets” were responsible for the explosion.
The US Embassy confirmed that the blast occurred at the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound and stated it was “assessing the damage,” with no injuries reported.
A spokesperson for Kataib Hezbollah, a prominent Iraqi Shia militia, denied involvement, claiming the explosion was “carried out by suspicious hands” to disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad.
