Series of Explosions Rock Baghdad as US Embassy Targeted by Drone Attack

The United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, became the target of a drone attack as a series of explosions rocked the city on Saturday, 14 March local time. The drone strike reportedly struck the US Embassy complex.

Iraq, which has long been a proxy warfare battleground between the United States and Iran, was rapidly drawn into the Middle East conflict that began with a major combined US-Israeli strike against Tehran on 28 February.

According to an AFP journalist report circulated on Saturday, 14 March 2026, black smoke plumes rose above the US diplomatic mission complex shortly after a series of explosion sounds were heard on the morning of Saturday, 14 March local time.

Two anonymous Iraqi security officials told AFP that the US Embassy complex came under attack, though the precise cause remained unclear.

One security source stated that a drone had struck the US Embassy, whilst another security source reported that a projectile, believed to be a rocket, had fallen near an air base located close to the embassy.

“A drone struck the embassy,” said the Iraqi security official quoted by AFP.

There has been no official statement from the US Embassy regarding the reported attack. This marks the second instance in which the US Embassy in Baghdad has become a target of attack since the war began in late February.

Several armed groups backed by Iran are allied in a movement called the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq”, which has been designated by the United States as a “terrorist organisation”. These armed groups have claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks against US bases in Iraqi territory.

The report of the attack on the US Embassy emerged shortly after two pro-Iran fighters from the Kataeb Hezbollah group were killed in an attack in Baghdad.

Since the outbreak of war, several attacks targeting pro-Iran group members in Iraqi territory have been attributed to the United States and Israel.