Explosions heard near US Embassy in Baghdad, air defenses activated

BAGHDAD — Explosions were heard near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday night, with witnesses reporting air defenses activated over the area.

Reuters, citing security sources, reported that Katyusha rockets targeted the embassy, though this could not be independently verified.

No casualties were immediately reported.

The incident came hours after National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji pledged that Iraq would protect all embassies and diplomatic missions and “will not allow them to be harmed” — remarks made during a meeting with French Ambassador Patrick Durel focused on regional escalation and the push for a ceasefire.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq had warned Friday that “any harm to the security of the southern suburb, crowded with civilians, will inevitably be met with a threat to the security of embassies of the attacking states whether in Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait or Lebanon.”

Tensions around the Green Zone have been elevated since March 1, when Iraqi security forces dispersed demonstrators with tear gas after crowds attempted twice to breach the area and reach the embassy. The U.S. Embassy had warned that demonstrations near its compound “may turn violent.”