Baghdad: U.S. embassy air defenses down two drones
The drones' origin is unclear and no one was hurt. Analysts see surveillance flights meant to deter new U.S. strikes on Iran.
Symbolic image · Photo: User:Bobsmith040689 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Air defenses protecting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad shot down two drones on Oct. 27, Al Arabiya reported, as cited by CBS News. The drones' origin was unknown and no casualties were reported. A security source told Iraqi media the drones were not carrying explosives. The U.S. think tank ISW assessed that they were almost certainly surveillance flights intended to deter U.S. strikes on Iran.
According to ISW, Iran-backed militias in Iraq have shifted to subtler tactics, such as surveillance drones and smaller cells directed by the Revolutionary Guards, rather than public threats. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi has moved to curb militia operations, but Iranian influence in state institutions limits his options. On Oct. 23, U.S. intelligence warned that Iran had substantially increased efforts to target American personnel.