‘Suicide drone’ and missile strike target ‘radar system and helipad’ at US embassy in Baghdad: Iran media

BAGHDAD: A “suicide drone” was used to target the “radar system” at the United States embassy in Baghdad, according to a report by the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV. Citing ‘Iraqi sources’, the report indicated that the mission specifically focused on the electronic detection equipment situated within the diplomatic mission’s compound.

In a further escalation of the assault on the heavily fortified site, a missile strike also reportedly targeted the “helipad” at the embassy, as documented by Al Jazeera. According to “Iraqi officials,” the missile successfully struck the “landing area within the compound,” signifying a diversified strike against the United States mission.

Aerial photo shows the destroyed air defense system at US embassy in Baghdad.

Follow: https://t.co/mLGcUTSA3Q pic.twitter.com/rfTrVLC1Ob

— Press TV (@PressTV) March 14, 2026

This physical assault coincides with sharp diplomatic rhetoric from Tehran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has asserted that the Islamic Republic now views the United States and the Israeli regime as indistinguishable regarding the severity of their actions against the Iranian people.

In a statement shared on X, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf remarked, “Trump was duped by [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu into starting the war and is now acting under his control.” The Speaker further clarified Tehran’s current stance, noting that, in light of the “major crime they have committed, Iran no longer makes ‘any distinction’ between the United States and the Zionist regime.”

1/ Trump was duped by Netanyahu into starting the war and is now acting under his control.

Regarding the major crime they have committed, Iran no longer makes “any distinction” between the United States and the Zionist regime.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 13, 2026

Qalibaf’s comments come at a time of intensifying regional conflict, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continuing its series of “successful and decisive waves of unrelenting retaliatory strikes” against what it describes as hostile American and Israeli installations.

Regarding the future of the military engagement, the Speaker maintained a firm position, declaring that “the war will continue until the enemy’s calculus is altered and they are driven to regret.”

Mirroring this defiant political stance, the IRGC has confirmed the launch of the 48th phase of its retaliatory campaign, targeting various Israeli and American installations, according to reports by Press TV. In a statement released on Saturday, the IRGC announced the “successful execution of the 48th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4 against Zionist and American targets.”

This latest offensive was reportedly carried out in coordination with the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah. Military officials identified the primary targets within the occupied territories as being situated in the northern sector, specifically focusing on “Galilee, Golan, and the occupied city of Haifa.”

Beyond these areas, several “American bases throughout the region” were also struck during this stage of the conflict. According to Press TV, the 48th wave utilised a sophisticated mix of weaponry, including “solid-fuel Kheibar Shekan missiles, liquid-fuel Qadr missiles, and attack drones.”

This follows the earlier completion of the 47th wave, which took place on Friday and targeted strategic locations such as the “Negev Desert, including Nevatim,” which is home to one of the largest airbases in the region. Other strikes during that phase were directed at “Be’er Sheva,” described as a technological hub, and the city of “Lod.”

Notably, the IRGC also reported hitting “al-Udaid,” identified as the “United States’ most important airbase in the West Asia region,” located in Qatar. The operation further extended to the “hiding places of the anti-Iran Komala terrorist group,” employing both “solid-fuel Kheibar Shekan missiles and liquid-fuel Qadr missiles.”

Press TV further reported that during the 46th wave, which also occurred on Friday, the IRGC utilised “Khorramshahr, Kheibar Shekan, Emad, and Qadr missiles”. Highlighting the impact on the ground, the Corps noted the psychological toll of the strikes, stating, “Siren to siren and a scramble to enter shelters, this is the current state of the Zionists at this moment.”

Since the onset of hostilities late last month, the IRGC has reportedly deployed “hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles as well as attack drones.” On the defensive front, the Corps claimed to have downed five invading aircraft on Friday, including “Orbiter 4, Hermes, and MQ-9 Reaper drones.”

Military records cited by the state broadcaster indicate that a total of “114 reconnaissance and combat drones” have been neutralised by Iran’s “advanced air defense systems” since the start of the aggression. In a final escalation of the psychological campaign, the IRGC has reportedly begun sending Hebrew text messages to residents within the occupied territories.

The warning message stated, “By the permission of God, we will bring upon you days of darkness in which you will wish for death, but you will not find it”. (ANI)