{"id":36823,"date":"2020-01-08T02:31:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T02:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/08\/no-us-casualties-in-iran-missile-strike-preliminary-reports-say\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:10:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:10:47","slug":"no-us-casualties-in-iran-missile-strike-preliminary-reports-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/08\/no-us-casualties-in-iran-missile-strike-preliminary-reports-say\/","title":{"rendered":"No US casualties in Iran missile strike, preliminary reports say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pentagon says at least more than a dozen Iranian rockets were fired at two targets in Iraq Tuesday that house U.S. troops. Damage assessments are ongoing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles<\/a> at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops, but preliminary reports suggest there are no U.S. casualties yet, two sources with direct knowledge of actions on the ground told Military Times Tuesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command have not provided a formal battle damage assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A U.S. defense official told Military Times that Iran shot 15 missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops from inside Iran Tuesday night \u2014 10 missiles hit al-Asad airbase, one missile hit Erbil International Airport in in the north, and four missiles failed in flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran signaled Tuesday night that there will be no more strikes targeting U.S. troops unless the U.S retaliates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An American commando housed aboard the Iraqi base in Irbil said the threat was now over, but told Military Times that the al-Asad air base was hit hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne [missile] apparently hit just off the airfield in Irbil and Asad is getting punished,” the source said. \u201cWaves coming in five-minute intervals of 4-5 missiles at the airfield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran declared Tuesday that it had started its retaliatory <\/a>strikes for the U.S. strike that killed revered Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,\u201d the Pentagon said in an emailed statement Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Videos from the Alahad TV network<\/a>, a television station associated with an Iran-backed militia known as Asa\u2019ib Ahl al-Haq, has posted videos allegedly showing celebrations in the Iranian city of Mashhad following the Iranian ballistic missile strike. Military Times has not verified the authenticity of the videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday night: \u201cThe President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A defense official, speaking on background late Tuesday, said that despite reports that Camp Taji in Iraq was also hit with rocket fire, the defense official said he was \u201cnot aware\u201d of any attacks on that base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to meeting with President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top leaders in the Pentagon over the course of Tuesday evening. Esper also made a series of phone calls to \u201csenior\u201d congressional members, as well as joining Pentagon officials in calling \u201cregional and NATO allies\u201d to \u201cget their input and their feedback,\u201d according to the defense official on background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. against retaliating for the Iranian strike and threatened that “it will face a more painful and crushing response,\u201d Iran state-run media Fars News Agency reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IRGC also said that “all the U.S. allied states where the terrorist army has a base, any territory that becomes the origin of any hostile and aggressive action against the Islamic Republic of Iran in any way will be targeted,\u201d Fars reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former CENTCOM commander retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel told Military Times that even with the current missile barrage launched by Iran, he does not foresee a major ground war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA major maneuver war between Armies \u2026 not very likely in my view,\u201d he said in an email. “If you mean continued asymmetric attacks, rockets, missiles, etc \u2014 that is more likely and thus more concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, Votel, who served as commander of Joint Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command prior to taking the reigns at CENTCOM, says that the current strife is something \u201cwe all hoped we would not have to experience \u201c and that it is \u201canyone\u2019s guess on how this plays out. But perhaps with a strong and direct response to our strike, Iran is hoping to de-escalate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phillip Smyth, a research fellow with the Washington Institute, said Iran\u2019s attack against American troops was a major escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t