Hezbollah releases drone footage showing attack on US base in Iraq | VIDEO

Baghdad: Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah has released video footage showing a first-person view (FPV) drone attack on the US Victory Base near Baghdad International Airport, Al Jazeera reported.

It is believed to be the first time the group has successfully used an FPV drone to evade US defence systems.

The United States Embassy in Baghdad has also come under fire, with a missile striking a helipad inside the embassy, security officials told The Associated Press.

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“The projectile landed within the embassy’s boundaries in the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district in central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government institutions and foreign embassies,” the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Following the attack, the US Embassy urged American citizens in Iraq to leave immediately, updating its security alert hours after the strike.

The situation across the region remains tense. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Defence confirmed the interception and destruction of 10 drones targeting the Riyadh and eastern regions, marking a major escalation in aerial threats. Earlier in the day, Saudi forces had destroyed seven additional drones, and an air defence unit successfully neutralised another drone entering the northern Al-Jawf region.

According to Euro News, the sheer volume of drones represents an “unusually high level of aerial threats for Saudi Arabia,” affecting critical locations including the US Embassy in Riyadh, key oil infrastructure, and bases hosting American troops.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it launched a new wave of strikes in Tehran on Friday morning. “The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran,” the military stated. Israeli operations also extended into Lebanon, with the IDF striking the Al-Zrariya Bridge on the Litani River, saying, “In order to prevent a threat to civilians of the State of Israel and the continued harm to Lebanese civilians, it was necessary to strike the bridge.”

US President Donald Trump signalled that Washington intends to intensify its campaign against Iran. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time – watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.” He added, “They've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honour it is to do so.”

However, concerns about regional stability persist. A CNN report suggested that the Trump administration may have underestimated the likelihood of Iran closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to military strikes. Sources revealed that while planning the current operation, the Pentagon and the National Security Council did not fully anticipate Tehran attempting to block the waterway, despite long-standing US military contingency plans.