Latest package includes large amounts of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, fuel tanker trucks and riverine boats.
A powerful Iran-backed militia said Wednesday there would be “escalation” if Iraq’s prime minister continues to clamp down on armed groups, as tensions spiked following the killing of a prominent analyst, pitting the state against rogue elements.
The Iraqi military said Sunday that a rocket aimed at Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, home of the U.S. Embassy, struck a residential house and injured a child.
Iran understands that Patriot air defense systems limit its options for additional aggression. But it also knows that the systems cannot defend against the rockets that Iran's proxies in Iraq have repeatedly lobbed with deadly effect at U.S. and coalition troops.
“I would caution Iran and its proxies from attempting a response that would endanger U.S. and coaltion forces,” McKenzie said. “We have the flexibility, the capability, and the will to respond to any threat.”