Three rockets were fired into Baghdad’s Green Zone, the fortified area of the capital that houses the U.S. Embassy, government buildings, and U.S. service members. Two rockets landed in the “Green Zone,” but caused no casualties, according to Iraqi officials. Alarms were sounding in the U.S. embassy complex, and speakers were telling those insides to take shelter. The third rocket hit a nearby home, and three residents got a bit wounded from the missile.

Why did it happen?

According to Newsweek. “The incident followed a deadly series of events. The U.S. blamed Friday’s death of a Pentagon contractor in a rocket attack on the Iran-backed, the U.S. retaliated Sunday with strikes on positions near the Syrian border, killing up to 27 fighters and stirring national outrage”. Members and supporters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which took to the streets in protest. No one has been held responsible for the rockets, and the rockets came after militant groups threaten to attack U.S. facilities. The militant group’s leader was killed along with the revolutionary guard.

How did President Trump respond to this?

President Donald Trump responded on Twitter, saying, “the embassy was always a safe place.” He also said, “Iran and the minister will have full responsibility for deaths, damage, and the facilities. “They will pay a very big price.”

Why do the U.S and Iran have a bad relationship?

The poisonous relationship between the two all started in 2003. The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled Hussein. After that, U.S. troops continued to face off with many of Iran would later go on to become part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Washington also began accusing Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons in 2003 and helped to push forward international resolutions to sanction Iran in 2006, Newsweek reported.

These sanctions were lifted a decade later with Trump leaving the agreement last year in 2018, arguing it did not go far enough to contain Iran’s “malign activities.” Iran refuses to reopen negotiations unless the U.S. lives up to its commitments and lifts a strong economy.