Drone crashes in US Embassy compound in Baghdad

Two drones were shot down by a defense system at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, while a third drone crashed inside the embassy compound, two Iraqi security officials said. According to Associated Press they spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. An AP journalist in the area saw a massive fire that appeared to be engulfing a structure in the compound. There was no immediate statement from the embassy. U.S. facilities in Iraq have frequently come under attack by Iran or Iran-backed Iraqi militias since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, triggering the ongoing war in the Middle East. On March 16, following another attack by Iranian drones on the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a fire that broke out in fuel storage tanks near the international airport could not be brought under control. Videos shared on social media by local residents show the intense blaze from close range. As seen in the footage, the fire has spread across a large area, and sounds of explosions can be heard at the site. It should be noted that after the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, Iran began targeting neighboring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. As a result, oil facilities, airports, and civilian infrastructure in these countries have been struck by missiles and drones. Afghanistan's deputy government spokesman said early Tuesday the death toll from an airstrike by Pakistan that hit a hospital treating drug users in the Afghan capital Kabul has increased to 400. According to Associated Press in a post on X, Hamdullah Fitrat said the strike on Monday night had destroyed large sections of the hospital. He said the death toll so far stood at 400, while a further 250 people had been reported injured. Fitrat said rescue teams were trying to control the fire at the building and recover the bodies of the victims. Pakistan had earlier denied that it had hit a hospital, saying its strike in Kabul and other strikes in eastern Afghanistan Monday had not hit any civilian sites. Israel's Defense Minister Katz said on Monday that Secretary of Iran's National Security Council Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike last night. The IDF confirmed targeting Larijani. Earlier, Israeli media reported that the army carried out a series of overnight airstrikes in Iran targeting senior political and militant figures, including high-ranking official Ali Larijani. Larijani, who serves as secretary of Iran's National Security Council, had been a key power figure following the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier in the conflict. Previously considered one of Khamenei's closest allies, he emerged as an influential figure within Iran's leadership after the outbreak of the war. Tehran has not yet issued any confirmation or denial regarding Larijani's fate. However, his absence from public view over the past 24 hours and his failure to attend key National Security Council meetings have raised suspicions. Satellite images show several deep craters around a residence in northern Tehran believed to have been used by Larijani, with buildings reportedly completely collapsed. Larijani had risen in influence following the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier in the conflict and was widely seen as a key figure in maintaining internal stability and directing strategic decisions. Since the start of the war on February 28, Israel, jointly with the United States, has carried out a series of highly targeted strikes inside Iran aimed at eliminating the country's top political, military and security leadership. The most significant and unprecedented of these strikes was the killing of Ali Khamenei in a coordinated airstrike in Tehran on the first day of the conflict. Iran and the United States launched joint epic fury military operation against Iran on February 28, targeting the country's military, nuclear facilities and senior officials. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the airstrikes across Iran. Iran responded immediately with waves of unprecedented missile and drone attacks directed at Israel, U.S. military bases and allied countries across the Middle East. These strikes have reached multiple countries, including Bahrain, Jordan and Oman, and have targeted both military facilities and energy infrastructure. The conflict has therefore expanded beyond a bilateral confrontation into a broader regional war affecting much of the Gulf.