“Controlled” bombing at US embassy centre in Iraq

The United States embassy in Iraq has confirmed that a “controlled explosion” occurred at its diplomatic support centre in Baghdad, adding that the incident was immediately reported to the Iraqi authorities, Ean Libya via Rudaw News Agency reported on February 7th.

A statement given by the US Embassy said, “The Iraqi authorities have been informed of a controlled explosion on February 7th, at the Diplomatic Support Centre in Baghdad, a diplomatic facility.” The Embassy offered no additional information regarding the scale of the explosion or the circumstances that prompted it.

Iraqi authorities have not yet issued any official comment.

The blast is one of several similar incidents reported at the Support Centre in Baghdad, where the United States embassy has previously conducted controlled detonations as part of its preventive security measures to safeguard the facility and its personnel. Such controlled bombing operations remain a standard practice for US embassies in the region, designed to limit collateral damage while testing the readiness of security teams and ensuring the reliability of warning and control systems without prompting major human or material losses.

The incident comes at a time when Iraq is experiencing heightened security tensions and growing concerns over possible threats to diplomatic institutions, as the government intensifies efforts to bolster protective measures and secure key foreign facilities.

The Diplomatic Support Centre in Baghdad is considered one of the key facilities providing logistical services and support to Americans in Iraq, and remains a sensitive site, vulnerable to potential security threats.

US Joint Command for Military Operations in Iraq announced that F‑16 jets had carried out precision airstrikes targeting an ISIS crane west of Nineveh, killing four terrorists and destroying the two compounds.

The statement noted that the operation followed several days of meticulous intelligence work by the Military Intelligence Directorate, carried out in coordination with the targeting cell of the Joint Operations Command. It added that the strikes destroyed the two guesthouses along with the logistical materials, devices, and equipment they contained.

The command confirmed that the security forces’ targeted operations are continuing in their efforts to track down ISIS remnants and eliminate any remaining terrorist presence in Iraq. Residents of the province have meanwhile voiced their support for the security forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), particularly amid the ongoing tension with the US.

About 5,000 volunteers from Iraq’s Diyala province have declared their readiness to defend Iraq and Iran against any potential U.S. threat, a media report said, reaffirming their support for the security forces and the PMF.

Rudaw News Agency and several social media pages reported a statement delivered by the representative of the volunteers during a gathering held in the Abu Saida district of Al-Muqdadiya. In his address, he said: “We declare our readiness to volunteer to support our security forces, the Popular Mobilization Forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we categorically reject the US intervention in the Islamic Republic.”

Badr Organization leader and organiser of the gathering, Ammar al‑Tamimi, said the gathering is not affiliated with any armed faction, but consists of civilian volunteers seeking to support the security forces when required. He noted that the list includes 4,947 names, which will be forwarded to the Diyala Operations Command for submission to the commander‑in‑chief of the armed forces.

Al‑Tamimi added that the volunteers will operate under specific time‑bound contracts and without any financial compensation, emphasising that they are prepared to mobilize at any moment in accordance with the directives of the security leadership, with their duties concluding once the security crisis has ended.

Ean Libya via Rudaw News Agency, Maghrebi.org