Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack was part of Iran’s response to the killing of its top general Qasem Soleimani. The IRGC threatened strikes inside the US if Washington responds to these missile attacks on Iranian soil, adding that it will launch attacks on Dubai in the UAE and Haifa in Israel if Iranian soil is ever attacked.

The US is not seeking a war with Iran, but is prepared to finish one, said US Defense Secretary Mark Esper. “We are seeking a diplomatic solution. But first this will require Iran to de-escalate. It will require the regime to come to the table with the goal of preventing further bloodshed. And it will require them to cease their malign activities throughout the region. We are open to having this discussion with them but we are just as prepared to deliver a forceful response to defend our interests.”

The Pentagon leader said that the US forces will not withdraw troops from Iraq despite the Iraqi Parliament's vote over the weekend to expel US troops.