Politics
REPORT: U.S. Embassy Targeted In Major Drone, Rocket Attack
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad came under a heavy barrage of rockets and drones early Tuesday in what Iraqi security sources described as one of the most intense attacks on the capital since the war erupted.
Witnesses said two drones were shot down by the embassy’s C-RAM defense system, while a third struck a building inside the embassy compound, sparking a fire and sending thick smoke into the sky.
Video seen by CNN showed air defenses intercepting what appeared to be a drone over Baghdad. The clip captured the moment it was hit, followed by a blast about 1,000 meters from the embassy compound.
“There it is, there it is,” a voice is heard saying in the video as the drone was intercepted.
“It hit, it hit, it hit, it hit. What is that? A flying drone?”
Another drone struck the Al Rasheed Hotel inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, Al Jazeera reported. The fortified zone houses the U.S. Embassy, key Iraqi government sites and frequent accommodations for foreign diplomats and oil industry employees.
🚨 DRAMATIC VIDEO: Footage shows the moment an Iranian drone struck the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 17, 2026
After the strikes, Iraqi security forces surged into the area. Armored vehicles blocked roads leading into the Green Zone as emergency crews worked near the impact sites.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani quickly condemned the assault and vowed a swift crackdown.
He said authorities would “hunt down the perpetrators of these acts and bring them to justice immediately.”
“These criminal acts have serious repercussions for our country and undermine the government’s efforts toward reconstruction and prosperity,” his spokesperson said.
C-RAM at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is non stop engaging multiple Iranian drones tonight. pic.twitter.com/jUVXwDgS2Y
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 17, 2026
The embassy and hotel came under fire just days after Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior Kataeb Hezbollah official, was killed in an attack in Baghdad. Kataeb Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militia the U.S. government has designated as a terrorist organization.
The escalation in Iraq came as Israeli forces launched ground operations in southern Lebanon on Monday, targeting Hezbollah positions, adding another flashpoint to a region already on edge.
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