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US Embassy is hit by missile as Trump claims US has 'obliterated every military target' in Iran conflict
A missile struck the US Embassy in Baghdad after President Donald Trump claimed US forces had "obliterated every military target" during strikes on Iran.
The projectile breached the Iraqi capital's heavily guarded Green Zone, an area that houses government buildings and foreign embassies, on Friday (March 13) night, Al Jazeera reported.
Video posted on social media by Sabereen News showed smoke rising from the massive diplomatic compound following the strike.
It remains unclear whether anyone was injured in the attack.
Attack Follows US Bombing Raid On Key Iranian Oil Hub
The strike came just hours after Trump announced that US forces had carried out a massive bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s most important oil export hub.
"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Kharg Island, located about 16 miles off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf, controls approximately 90 percent of the country’s crude oil exports and serves as the loading site for most of Iran’s oil shipments.
The 79-year-old said the island’s oil infrastructure was deliberately spared during the operation but warned that it could change if Iran interferes with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island," the president said.
"However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision," he warned.
Embassy Warned Americans Of Growing Threats
The military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, began two weeks ago and has sparked a wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Iran targeting US military bases, diplomatic missions, and allied nations in the region.
Just hours before Friday night’s strike, the US Embassy in Baghdad had issued a security alert warning American citizens that Iranian-backed militia groups posed a danger in the country.
"Iran and the terrorist militia groups allied with it pose a significant threat to public safety in Iraq," the embassy warned. "Attacks targeting US citizens, US interests, and critical infrastructure have been observed."
The warning also noted that Iran-aligned groups had targeted hotels popular with foreigners as well as US-linked facilities across the country.
"In addition, Iran-aligned terrorist militias have launched attacks on hotels frequented by foreigners and other facilities linked to the United States throughout Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. U.S. citizens also face a risk of kidnapping," they said.
The embassy urged Americans to "exercise vigilance, maintain a low profile, and avoid areas that could make them potential targets".
Iran Vows Retaliation As New Supreme Leader Speaks Out
The growing conflict has also intensified rhetoric from Iran’s leadership following the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the war.
His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, released his first statement since taking power, promising retaliation for those killed in the fighting.
"I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs," the new supreme leader said. "The retaliation we have in mind is not limited only to the martyrdom of the great leader of the revolution [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes a separate case in the file of revenge."
He added: "A limited portion of this retaliation has already taken tangible form, but until it is fully achieved, this file will remain open above other cases. We will be especially sensitive regarding the blood of our children."
Khamenei also warned that Iran could use control of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the conflict: "The lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used as well."
His statement followed reports that he may have been seriously wounded during earlier US-Israeli strikes that killed his father and several members of his family, though the claims remain disputed.
Trump Responds After Supreme Leader's Statement
The new leader’s remarks prompted a furious response from Trump, who wrote a strongly worded message on Truth Social.
"We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning," he said.
"Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth. We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time - Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today."
Trump continued: "They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!
"Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he concluded.