Blames Iran

Trump blames Iran for attack on U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad

The president tweets that the Islamic Republic "will be held fully responsible" for the siege.

By QUINT FORGEY

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed Iran for a breach of the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, asserting that the Islamic Republic “will be held fully responsible” for the siege on the heavily guarded American facility.

The words of warning from the president came after U.S. forces launched a series of airstrikes over the weekend targeting an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, which the administration claims perpetrated a rocket barrage that killed an American defense contractor at a military compound in northern Iraq.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have continued to play out in Iraq this week, reaching a boiling point in Baghdad on Tuesday as dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters broke into the American embassy compound.

“Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will,” Trump wrote in an early morning tweet. “Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”

The mass of protesters in Baghdad, inflamed by the recent U.S. airstrikes, shouted “Death to America” and other chants outside the embassy, and Iraqi security forces made no effort to stop their march to the compound, according to the Associated Press. No one was immediately reported hurt in the violence.

Iraq's apparent reluctance to quash the demonstrations followed a statement by the government Monday condemning the Trump administration's retaliatory airstrikes, which it charged were "in violation of the sovereignty of Iraq."

The State Department has already faulted the Iraqi government for allowing the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia to attack American outposts, and Iraq's response to the ongoing crisis in Baghdad is likely to worsen the diplomatic relationship between the two nations as the U.S. continues to move to counter alleged aggression by Tehran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke separately by phone Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and President Barham Salih, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement, and "made clear the United States will protect and defend its people, who are there to support a sovereign and independent Iraq."

The two Iraqi leaders "assured the Secretary that they took seriously their responsibility for and would guarantee the safety and security of U.S. personnel and property," the spokesperson said.

Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, both congressional defenders of the White House and Republican lawmakers outspoken on issues of foreign policy, defended the president's posture toward Iran and Iraq in tweets Tuesday.

"Argument from #Iraq govt (& some in U.S.)that we brought embassy attack on ourselves by striking #Iran’s proxies is garbage," Rubio wrote. "They’ve been firing at us for weeks & killed an American ... We should just let them continue without responding in only language these people understand?"

Less than ten minutes later, Graham posted: "Very proud of President @realDonaldTrump acting decisively in the face of threats to our embassy in Baghdad."

Graham wrote that Trump has "put the world on notice - there will be no Benghazis on his watch" — referring to the Obama administration's handling of the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

The senator also cautioned officials in Tehran to "Choose your battles wisely," and advised the Iraqi government: "This is your moment to convince the American people the US-Iraq relationship is meaningful to you and worth protecting. Protect our American personnel. You will not regret it."