The US Embassy and a hotel in Baghdad were targeted by drones early Tuesday, with video appearing to show air defences engaging a projectile near the embassy, CNN reported.
The Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq also came under attack, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of Iraq’s armed forces said, according to the US broadcaster.
Meanwhile, a report in the Anadolu Agency cited an unnamed security source telling the Shafaq news agency that four drones attempted to target the US Embassy in Baghdad. The report added that Iraq’s air defences managed to intercept and shoot down all drones before they reached their targets, the source said, noting that one drone fell on Abu Nuwas Street, while another landed near the embassy inside the Green Zone.
A new wave of rockets has struck an American diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport, as per a report by Al Jazeera.
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that a drone fell on the Al-Rasheed Hotel early Tuesday local time, according to CNN.“The ministry wishes to clarify that, after specialized forensic teams conducted an on-site and technical inspection, it was found that a drone had struck the upper fence of the hotel, without resulting in any loss of life or significant material damage,” Iraq’s interior ministry said in a statement.
Videos, geolocated by CNN, shows an explosion close to the vicinity of the US Embassy in Baghdad. Other videos showed a projectile consistent with a drone impacting the area near the embassy, and air defence systems engaging a projectile over Baghdad around 600 meters away from the embassy compound.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates temporarily closed its airspace after two separate fires broke out at the Fujairah oil zone and the Shah gas field after drone strikes at both locations, CNN reported.
Tensions seem to escalate further between the US-Israel and Iran as both sides continue with attacks.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence in Saudi Arabia confirmed that several unmanned aerial vehicles were neutralised in the eastern portion of the kingdom. According to officials, the drones were “intercepted and destroyed” after being detected in the region.
This defensive action follows an earlier report from the ministry regarding a similar security operation in the same area. In that instance, Saudi forces engaged six drones, all of which were “successfully destroyed” to prevent any impact.
In the context of these heightening tensions, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, held a telephone conversation yesterday with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, to review regional developments, as reported by Gulf News.
During the call, the two leaders assessed the impact of escalating military actions, which they identified as presenting “grave threats to regional and global security and stability”.
The discussion, according to Gulf News, also addressed the ongoing and “blatant Iranian attacks” directed at nations throughout the region. Both parties noted that these actions constitute a “violation of sovereign rights” of the affected countries and contravene established international norms.
Before this, a tanker was hit by an “unknown projectile” approximately 23 nautical miles east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).The agency noted in a post on X that the vessel was “at anchor” when the incident occurred. While the strike caused “minor structural damage” to the tanker, the vessel’s integrity remained stable.
There were “no injuries reported” to the crew following the impact, the maritime agency confirmed in its advisory. Furthermore, officials stated that “no environmental impact” was detected in the surrounding waters.
The UKMTO has confirmed that “authorities are investigating” the matter. In the meantime, all vessels operating in the region have been “advised to transit with caution” and to notify the agency of any “suspicious activity.”
This maritime incident coincides with reports of further instability on land. A fire has erupted within the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone following a drone strike at the facility, according to a report by Al Jazeera, citing the local government’s media office.