The evidence claimed by Washington that Iran-backed Iraqi militia fired rockets last December on an Iraqi military base, which housed U.S. troops and killed an American contractor and wounded several others, may have been false.
In response to the attack, the U.S bombed three Iraqi-Shia military sites, killing 25 troops.
Following the U.S. strike, hundreds of Iraqi citizens and militia stormed the grounds around the U.S. embassy in Baghdad chanting, “Death to America.” There were no deaths or injuries.
Responding to the embassy incident, President Trump tweeted: “Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities…They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a warning. it is a Threat. Happy New Year!”
Without providing evidence that Iran was behind the incident, Trump ordered the assassination of Iran’s popular political and military leader Qasem Soleimani, who had just landed in Iraq to reportedly start peace talks with Saudi Arabia.
In response to Soleimani’s murder, on 7 January, Iran followed with missile attacks at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
President Trump stated no Americans were injured in the missile attack.
On 22 January, Trump dismissed reports that some 34 American troops had suffered severe concussions and were being examined for possible traumatic brain injury: “I heard that they had headaches. And a couple of other things. But I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious.”
One week later, the Pentagon upped the number saying some 64 troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran’s missile attack.
Yesterday, they boosted the number to 109.
Who Did What?
And, last Friday, Iraqi intelligence officials raised doubts as to who launched the rockets that ignited the conflict. They said it was unlikely that the Iran-backed, Iraqi Shia militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, which the U.S. blamed for the attacks, was responsible.
American military officials say they have conclusive proof the Kata’ib Hezbollah was responsible. No proof was presented, however, and the group denied responsibility.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Despite the lack of proof that Iran-backed militia were responsible for the rocket attack which killed an American contractor and that American troops were severely injured by Iran’s counter attack following the assassination of General Soleimani, neither the U.S. mainstream media nor members of Congress have challenged these assertions.
Tehran Keeps Negotiating Door Open
Despite the escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S. following the assassination of General Soleimani, an analysis by a United Nations monitoring agency shows that Iran has not followed through on its threat to abandon what’s left of 2015’s Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). There is no evidence that Iran has increased its atomic output.
While the U.S. withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran in May of 2018 and with President Trump declaring it “a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made,” China, Russia, France, United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union, the other signatories, have tried to keep it together.
