The U.S. military reportedly thwarted a drone attack against its forces in Iraq early on Wednesday as anti-American sentiment grows in the Middle East amid Israel’s war with Hamas.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that American forces “intercepted” two drones “before they could strike,” but they would not say who they believed was behind the attack.
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The one-way attack drones were poised to hit Iraq’s Al Asad Air Base, which holds U.S. troops, the officials, who spoke anonymously, said.
Iraqis held rallies on Tuesday, burning Israeli flags and posters containing pictures of President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Amid the war between Israel and Hamas that has captured the attention of the globe, the United States and its allies have been weary of the conflict expanding, especially with Iran, a longtime supporter of Hamas, and its proxy groups, such as Hezbollah.
The failed strike on U.S. forces in Iraq came hours after a blast killed hundreds of Palestinians in a hospital in Gaza. Hamas blamed the attack on Israel, while the Jewish state blamed the tragedy on a misfired strike sent from within Gaza.
Iran warned on Monday that action against Israel could come soon and that the “leaders of the Resistance” wouldn’t allow an invasion of Gaza.
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Biden is expected to arrive in Israel at 3:30 a.m. Washington time to “reaffirm the United States’s solidarity with Israel,” as well as see how the country “will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”
However, Biden had also arranged to meet with leaders of the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and Jordan after his visit to the Jewish state. That visit was canceled shortly after the explosion at the hospital in Gaza, complicating Biden’s attempts at diplomacy in the region.
