American Military Bases In Iraq Got Attacked Again, President Joe Biden Prepares Calculations

Satellite image of the impact of an Iranian missile strike on Ain al-Assad Air Base last year. (Wikimedia Commons / Planet Labs, Inc.)

JAKARTA - Relations between the United States (US) and Iran heated up again on Wednesday after another rocket attack hit Iraqi airbase Ain al-Asad which houses US troops.

The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) said no United States service personnel were reported injured in the attack. However, a civilian contractor died after suffering a heart attack while sheltering from a rocket.

In this regard, President Joe Biden said his staff was investigating the incident carefully.

"Thank God nobody was killed by the rocket. We are identifying who was responsible and we will make an assessment", Biden told reporters before a meeting with lawmakers in the Oval Office.

Iraqi officials said 10 rockets landed at the military base. Meanwhile, the Pentagon was careful to say there were 10 'impact' attacks.

The rocket was thought to have been fired from several locations east of the airbase. Last year, the base was also the target of a direct ballistic missile strike from Iran.

Last February, there were three rocket attacks in Iraq in just a week, targeting areas where US troops, diplomats, or contractors are located.

The February 16 attack on a US-led coalition force base killed a civilian contractor and wounded a US service member. This was met with airstrikes on militia bases in Syria on the border with Iran last week.

Although this attack is said to have the same profile as last week's pro-Iran militia attacks, the Pentagon is reluctant to make an early assessment to draw conclusions. No group has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.

"We cannot attribute responsibility at this time, and we do not have a complete picture of the extent of the damage", said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Jen Psaki said America was conducting an assessment of the impact of the attacks and who should be held responsible.

"If we judge that further response is needed, we will take action again in the manner and timing that we choose. We will not make hasty or ill-informed decisions", said Psaki.