Washington/New Delhi:
Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq where American troops are based, said Pentagon. In a statement, the US military said Iran launched the attack at about 1:30 am local time. "It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in statement.
Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the US killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted angry calls to avenge his slaying.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, stated Pentagon. 'All is well!' President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the missile attacks, adding, 'So far, so good' regarding casualties. The effect of the restrictions wasn’t immediately clear because the FAA had been prohibiting American carriers from flying over most of those areas.
In view of the prevailing situation in Iraq, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification. Indian nationals residing in Iraq are advised to be alert and may avoid travel within Iraq, said Ministry of External Affairs.
— Trump says that a statement is coming
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that an assessment of the casualties and damage from Iranian missile strikes on two Iraqi military facilities was underway and he would make a statement on the situation on Wednesday morning.
US regulator bans airlines from flying over Iraq, Iran
The US Federal Aviation Administration said it would ban U.S. carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia after Iran launched a missile attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq.
The FAA said it issued the airspace ban "due to heightened military activities and increased political tensions in the Middle East, which present an inadvertent risk to US civil aviation operations."
Several non-US airlines had flights over parts of Iraq and Iran at the time, according to FlightRadar24 data. They are not directly affected by the FAA ban, but foreign carriers and their national regulators typically consider US advice carefully when deciding where to fly.
— Iran is defending itself from US aggression, says Iranian Minister
Iran is not seeking escalation or war, Iranian Foreign Minister tweeted after Tehran hit US targets in Iraq on Wednesday, adding that Tehran would defend itself against any aggression.
"Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
Oil prices hike
Oil jumped back above $70 a barrel after Iran attacked two US-Iraqi airbases in its first response to the killing of a top general, sparking fears the deepening conflict will disrupt global crude supplies.
Futures in London surged more than 5% to the highest since May as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the missile strikes. Prices later pared more than half their advance after Iran’s foreign minister said it had “concluded proportionate measures in self-defense" and is not seeking war.