Newly-circulated footage appears to show a US Patriot air defense system launching a missile from a base near Erbil, Iraq, amid reports of an attack on Erbil International Airport, according to unverified reports. The incident comes as Iranian and Iran-backed proxy forces continue escalating attacks against US positions in the Gulf region, following reports of a large fire at the US base in Erbil earlier tonight, as The Zioneer reported.
Newly-circulated footage on Telegram shows a US Patriot air defense missile streaking into the night sky from a base near Erbil, Iraq, amid reports of an attack on Erbil International Airport. The launch appears to be a defensive response to incoming fire, though the source and nature of the attack on the airport have not been confirmed. The footage emerges as the latest development in a fast-moving sequence of events tonight in northern Iraq.
This follows a series of reported attacks on US positions in Erbil. At 21:50 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Iranian-backed militias had fired dozens of rockets and suicide drones toward US bases and the embassy in Erbil. Minutes later, at the same timestamp, Iran officially claimed responsibility for an attack on the US embassy and a military base in Erbil. By 22:10 Jerusalem, a single report indicated a large fire had broken out at the US base in Erbil following an intense Iranian bombardment; the extent of damage and casualties remain unclear. The Patriot launch footage now adds a visual element to the defensive response.
Over recent weeks, Iranian and proxy forces have escalated attacks against US positions across the Gulf region. As The Zioneer reported on June 10, a Patriot system intercepted Iranian missiles over southern Bahrain, and a loud explosion was heard near the US base in Erbil following an attempted drone attack. On June 8, a US system intercepted a ballistic missile and drones from Iran near a base in northern Iraq. On June 7, Iranian missiles struck Kurdish opposition bases near Erbil. The broader context is a sustained campaign of Iranian strikes against US and allied assets in Iraq and the Gulf.
Details of the attack on Erbil International Airport and the specific target of the Patriot launch remain unverified. No official confirmation has been provided by US or Iraqi authorities. The source of the fire at the US base and the full extent of damage from the bombardment also remain unconfirmed.
4 developments
- StrongLoud explosion heard near US base in Erbil, northern Iraq
- StrongFootage shows Patriot system intercepting Iranian missiles over southern Bahrain
- DevelopingUS soldier's footage shows Iranian missile fire toward American base in Jordan last Thursday
- ConfirmedIRGC claims ballistic missile strike at US radar site in Erbil
Source and signal
- Internal intake