CENTCOM: An Iranian-made cruise missile discovered in Iraq

The United States Central Command, CENTCOM, announced the discovery of an Iranian-made ground-to-ground cruise missile in Iraq. On Thursday, January 5, CENTCOM reported via a message on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Iraqi police discovered the missile designed by Iran on Wednesday, January 4, in Babel, Iraq. According to CENTCOM, terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria are endangering coalition forces and local residents by using Iranian-made weapons. In its message, CENTCOM praised the efforts of legitimate security forces in Iraq to prevent future attacks. On Tuesday, January 5, CENTCOM had announced that U.S. forces attacked positions of the 'terrorist' group Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, which is supported by the Islamic Republic. President Joe Biden stated that the purpose of this attack was to deter the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces. Previously, a drone suicide attack on the location of coalition forces led by the U.S. in Erbil, Iraq, resulted in injuries to several coalition personnel. Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since mid-October of this year, Iranian-backed militant groups in the region have increased their attacks against Israeli and U.S. interests in various parts of the Middle East. During the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 1,200 people, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and about 240 were taken hostage, with more than a hundred still held captive by this Palestinian militant group. The U.S., Canada, the UK, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Joe Biden: The purpose of recent U.S. attacks in Iraq was 'deterrence' against the Islamic Republic. An American senator called for retaliatory strikes in Iran: 'Blow up the IRGC bases.' CENTCOM reported on the U.S. military's attack on the positions of Kata'ib Hezbollah militants in Iraq. A rocket attack on the Al-Asad airbase in western Iraq; CENTCOM: No damage was reported.