Kurdish officials reported a drone targeted Erbil airport in northern Iraq yesterday (Wed, April 15). The airport houses US troops. While no casualties were reported in the attack, a building was damaged.
According to the Arab News website, this was the first known drone attack targeting US forces in Erbil, following a number of rocket strikes attributed to pro-Iranian militias in the country.
A terror group reportedly backed by Tehran praised the attack without taking responsibility for it.
The drone was said to be carrying a load of TNT explosives. Smoke could be seen at the airport in a video reportedly taken at the scene of the attack.
Reuters previously reported that Iran is almost ready to start enriching uranium to 60% purity at an above-ground plant at Natanz and plans to add 1,024 first-generation IR-1 centrifuges to the plant, according to a UN atomic watchdog.
The statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) came a day after Iran announced it would begin enriching uranium to 60% purity, its highest level to date in response to the blackout and explosion which occurred at the Natanz nuclear facility over the weekend.
Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers allows Tehran to enrich uranium to up to 3.67% purity. However, it has breached that limit as part of its scaling back of compliance in response to Washington’s withdrawal from the deal under President Trump.
U.S. President Joe Biden has indicated a desire to return to the deal, engaging in indirect talks with Tehran last week in Vienna that ended without progress.
Despite Iran’s announcement last week, the White House reaffirmed its commitment to continued negotiations with the Islamic Republic.