Military Threat
Key moment
Iran Strikes Back: Ballistic Missiles on US Bases After Soleimani Killing
Within five days of the US assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases housing US troops — the most direct Iranian military attack on American forces in decades. On the same night, IRGC air defences, on high alert from the crisis, mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian civilian airliner, killing all 176 aboard and triggering a secondary wave of domestic and international outrage.
Source Events (3)
- US Drone Strike Assassinates Iran's Top General Qassem Soleimani President Trump orders a drone strike near Baghdad airport that kills General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's most powerful military commander, in the most dramatic US military action against Iran since 1988. View event details →
- Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at US Bases in Iraq in Soleimani Retaliation Iran launches more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases hosting US troops, the largest Iranian ballistic missile attack ever against American forces, injuring over 100 soldiers. View event details →
- Iran Accidentally Shoots Down Ukrainian Passenger Plane, Killing 176 Iran's IRGC mistakenly fires two surface-to-air missiles at a Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737, killing all 176 on board during the tense hours after its attack on US bases. View event details →