Two drones launched from Iran toward Israel were intercepted and shot down over Iraq by the U.S.-led international coalition fighting the Islamic State group, according to two Iraqi military officials speaking to AFP on Sunday, June 15.
The drones were downed overnight between Saturday, June 14, and Sunday June 15, by coalition forces stationed at the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, which hosts foreign troops. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the drones were headed to Israel when they were intercepted. The second official explained the drones were engaged after entering the coalition’s defensive perimeter, where troops are authorized to respond to perceived threats.
The interception comes amid heightened tensions in the region following Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes on Iranian territory on Friday, targeting military, nuclear, and residential areas. Iran has since launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation. Some of these projectiles have landed in Iraq, mostly in unpopulated desert regions, without reports of casualties.
On Friday, June 13, an explosive drone was also shot down by coalition forces at the same Ain al-Asad base, according to Iraqi sources.
The government in Baghdad maintains a complex relationship in the conflict, balancing close ties with Tehran and a strategic partnership with Washington. The United States currently has approximately 2,500 troops stationed in Iraq as part of its ongoing mission against jihadist groups. Under a bilateral agreement, coalition forces are scheduled to gradually withdraw, vacating federal Iraqi bases by September 2025 and fully exiting the autonomous Kurdistan region by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, Iraqi armed group Kataeb Hezbollah issued a warning to the United States on Sunday, threatening retaliation if U.S. forces are seen to intervene directly in the Israel-Iran confrontation. In a statement, the group said Iran was capable of confronting Israel without external military assistance and cautioned that American military bases and interests in the region would become targets if the U.S. entered the conflict.
