US Embassy in Baghdad Struck as Iran-Aligned Militias Widen the War to Iraq

The United States Embassy in Baghdad was struck by missiles overnight on Saturday, marking a dramatic escalation of the Iran conflict into Iraqi territory and prompting Washington to order all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately. The embassy said Iran-aligned militia groups were behind the attack and warned of continued threats from missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace. The incident added Iraq to the already long list of countries drawn into the expanding military confrontation.
The Baghdad strike came as the broader conflict between the US and Iran continued to rage. US warplanes bombed Kharg Island for the second consecutive day, and Iran launched ballistic missiles at the UAE, hitting near Fujairah’s oil facilities and forcing a suspension of loading operations. Iranian military spokespeople warned civilians near UAE ports and US installations to evacuate. Iran’s military threatened strikes on any Gulf energy facility with American ties, and the foreign minister called on Arab states to expel US forces.
President Trump said in public remarks on Saturday that US strikes had effectively destroyed most of Kharg Island and suggested more strikes were likely. He called on allied nations to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, naming China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK. The appeal was notable as a tacit acknowledgment that forcing the strait open might exceed unilateral US military capacity. The waterway, closed by Iran since hostilities began on February 28, carries about a fifth of global oil and gas supplies daily.
Israel was also active in the conflict, conducting dozens of airstrikes on Iran aimed at destroying missile systems and degrading security infrastructure. At least 15 people were killed when an Israeli strike hit a factory in Isfahan. Iran continued launching rockets at Israel in return. US Defence Secretary Hegseth said Iran’s leadership was “desperate and hiding” underground, and suggested Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been wounded and possibly disfigured. Iranian officials confirmed Khamenei’s injury but described it as non-serious.
The war’s accumulating casualties painted a stark picture of widespread suffering. More than 1,400 Iranians had been reported dead from relentless bombing. Thirteen Israelis had died, and around 20 people in the Gulf region. Lebanon had seen more than 800 killed and 850,000 displaced in parallel Israeli operations against Hezbollah. Six US service members died in a military aircraft crash in western Iraq. Analysts warned that without a swift diplomatic resolution, the conflict risked metastasising into an uncontrollable regional war with catastrophic global consequences.