Fears of Wider Middle East Conflict Intensify as US Personnel Injured in Rocket Attack

A rocket attack on a military base in Iraq has left several US personnel injured, according to a US spokesperson, intensifying fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. The attack, claimed by pro-Iran fighters, comes days after a US airstrike killed at least four pro-Iran extremists in Iraq and follows the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Iran has blamed on Israel.

The attack on Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq's Anbar Province, which hosts some of the remaining US soldiers in the country, has raised concerns that Iran or its proxy groups may seek revenge against the US and its allies. Iran-backed groups have resumed rocket attacks on US troops in recent days, apparently seeking to punish Washington for its close alliance with Israel.

Iran has vowed to avenge Haniyeh's killing and other deadly strikes in Iran and Beirut, which it has blamed on Israel. However, it has also stated that it does not want to escalate tensions in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Iran and its proxies against attacking Israel, saying the country is already in a "multifront war" against Iran's axis of evil.

The situation has prompted calls for de-escalation from around the globe, with the US sending messages through diplomatic channels urging countries to tell Tehran that escalation in the region "is not in anyone's interest". The Organization of Islamic Countries has agreed to meet on August 7 to discuss the situation.

The tensions have been running high in the region since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, which killed some 1,200 people. Israel responded with a war against Hamas that has left almost 40,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. The situation has been further complicated by Iran's attack on Israel with drones and missiles on April 13, in response to a suspected Israeli air strike on the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus.