U.S. military officials confirmed late Sunday that there were "no U.S. or coalition casualties" as the result of a large explosion near the American embassy in Baghdad that some have already begun to speculate may have been carried out by Iran's terror proxy group, Hezbollah.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, which operates assets in the region, confirmed a large explosion that some reports identified as a Katyusha rocket having struck just outside of the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, known as the International Zone.
"We are aware of an explosion in the International Zone (Green Zone) outside
of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on May 19," Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement. "There were no U.S. or coalition casualties, and Iraqi Security Forces are investigating the incident."
Iraqi military officials also confirmed the explosion, though neither the United States nor Iraq has indicated who may be responsible for the incident.
Sources in the region have speculated that Hezbollah's branch in Iraq is responsible for the attack, possibly as a test of the area's defenses.
Iran and its terror proxy groups have sought to foment chaos in the region, particularly in light of President Donald Trump's efforts to sanction the Iranian regime and squeeze its economy.
Iranian forces have made multiple provocative moves in the Persian Gulf, harassing U.S. ships and forces aligned with the American coalition in the region.
Several mortar shells were fired in the same general area in September.