Iran Strikes Back at US with Missile Strikes at Bases in Iraq
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We ran the numbers: There are 3054 news articles covering this topic. 50% (1536) are left leaning, 35% (1070) center, 15% (448) right leaning.
Late Tuesday, the U.S. Defense Department announced that Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces, targeting at least two military bases in Iraq. The strike came after the United States killed Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani last week. Left-leaning articles highlight that the strike raises fears that Iran and U.S. are closer to war, but there are also some indications that there would not be further retaliation on either side. Right-leaning articles highlight that Iran claims victory with the attack but warns that it’s not enough.
A left-leaning article by The Washington Post notes that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. The article states that this was Iran’s most direct assault on the United States since the 1979 seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
A centrist article by NPR reports that Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the strike, saying it was an act of “self-defense.” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said officials are working to assess the extent of the damage, while President Trump tweeted that the damage is “So far, so good!” Members of Congress are warning that the U.S. cannot afford to start a war with Iran.
Fox News published a right-leaning article highlighting that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that ballistic missile attacks targeting U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq Wednesday morning were a “slap in the face” to the United States, adding that the U.S. should leave the region. Iran state TV claimed that Tehran launched “tens” of surface-to-surface missiles at the Ain al-Asad Air Base.