## 2024-08-08 17:13:12
The United States will not tolerate attacks on American troops in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after a rocket attack in Iraq wounded seven American troops.
The attack, which occurred on Monday, was the third in three weeks on the Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq, which houses American troops and other personnel involved in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State.
“Make no mistake, the United States will not tolerate attacks on our personnel in the region,” Austin told a news conference in Annapolis. A U.S. defense official confirmed earlier in the day that five U.S. service members and two contractors were wounded in the attack, all of whom were in stable condition.
A Pentagon statement following the call between Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Galant described the rocket attack as “an attack by pro-Iran militias on U.S. forces.” The statement also noted that the two ministers agreed the attack “marks a dangerous escalation.”
Austin expressed confidence that the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militias.
Earlier, a report by Cursor News claimed, citing CNN sources, that the United States had detected Iran preparing to attack Israel.
Additionally, media reports claimed that U.S. officials had visited Iran and requested that the country “not play games” with Israel.