Iraq base attack leaves 5 U.S. troops injured in rocket strike

Five American troops and two contractors were injured in a rocket attack on a U.S. base in Iraq on Monday, a defense official said.

Two rockets struck Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq around 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, according to the official.

Five injured personnel are receiving care at the airbase and two have been evacuated for further care, but all seven are considered to be in stable condition, the official added. More details are expected.

It’s still not clear who was behind the attack, but it comes as tensions have soared in the Middle East. The U.S. and Israel are bracing for an Iranian attack following the death of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

Israel has not confirmed or denied the killing of Haniyeh, but Israeli forces acknowledged the assassination in Lebanon of top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr, also last week.

Both strikes are pushing the Middle East toward the brink of a larger war, which has boiled for months since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

Iran, which backs proxies in Iraq and Syria, has vowed publicly to respond to the death of Haniyeh.

Iranian-backed militants attacked U.S. troops for months in Iraq and Syria, but halted attacks after massive American strikes in February. The U.S. strike earlier this year followed the death of three American troops at a base in Jordan after an Iranian proxy attack.

Dozens of U.S. troops were injured in the Iranian-backed attacks that started last year.