At least 30 rockets have struck the Al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, which houses US troops, and there are unconfirmed reports of up to 30 missiles. The incident comes as the US and Iran stand on the brink of open war.

There was no immediate confirmation of the rockets’ origins, but anonymous US military officials quickly blamed Iran. Tehran had vowed “hard revenge” on Washington after last week’s drone strike that assassinated Quds Force head General Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad international airport, along with several leaders of the Iraqi Shia militia.