Military commanders in Iran directly guided the recent attack and siege at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said Thursday, echoing charges by President Trump and other top U.S. officials.
Iraqi Shiite militias, which have close ties to Tehran, stormed the embassy compound this week, protesting U.S. airstrikes on a militia base last week.
“We know it was Iranian-backed Shia militias because key leaders were spotted in the crowd and some militia members showed up wearing their uniforms and carried the flags of their militia,” Mr. Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.
“It is clear that these attacks are being directed by the Iranian regime, specifically [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] leadership,” Mr. Esper said.
Within hours of the most recent attacks, U.S. Marines based in Kuwait were dispatched to the embassy grounds. Pentagon officials also deployed a battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region to support the U.S. assets and allies in the region.
“It’s a rapid-reaction force for exactly this type of situation. Their purpose is defensive in nature,” said Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Additional Iran-controlled attacks against U.S. interests in Iraq are possible, officials said.
“That’s nothing new. We’ve seen this for two or three months now,” Mr. Esper said. “We’re prepared to do what is necessary to protect our personnel, our interests and our partners in the region.”
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