Explosive drones strike US base in Erbil, Iraq

Explosive-laden drones targeted a military base hosting U.S. forces in Irbil, Iraq, on Friday, July 24, 2026, hours after the United States concluded its thirteenth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran. Kurdish security officials said coalition forces intercepted and shot down five drones over the city, with no casualties or damage reported. An Associated Press journalist on the scene reported hearing at least seven explosions and seeing four plumes of black smoke near the base at Irbil International Airport, though flights continued normally.

The drone attack on Irbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, is part of a sharp escalation in regional hostilities over the past week. The U.S. military, which maintains a small contingent of troops in Iraq, confirmed it had finished another nightly barrage against Iranian military sites it says are used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran and its allies have targeted U.S. assets and allies. On the same morning, sirens sounded in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, following reported drone activity. Iran's army claimed responsibility for drone strikes against U.S....