Two rockets hit the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq on Monday, injuring seven U.S. personnel, including five servicemen and two contractors. Five of the injured are being treated on-site at the air base and the other two were evacuated for treatment elsewhere.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the attack is a “dangerous escalation” on the part of militant groups aligned with Iran, CNN reported.
In a call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the two men said the attack, “demonstrated Iran’s destabilizing role in the region.”
Officials are still conducting post-attack assessments at the base and, per a statement from the Iraqi military, the perpetrators as well as personnel responsible for “security breaches in the area” will be held accountable.
The attack comes just a week after the assassination of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders drew promises of retaliation from Iran on Israel, which U.S. military officials have been preparing for. The threats of retaliation have not yet been connected to Monday’s rocket attack, though they contribute to the growing conflict in the Middle East.
According to CNN, Austin “ordered additional military assets” to be sent to the Middle East last week, including warships and a fighter squadron.