"We have attacked with military bases where US-led coalition forces are in Syria and Iraq at the same time," the pro-Iranian militias have said, while acknowledging firmly and emphasizing their right to "self-defense."

The attacks came as Iran and its allies in the region marked the second anniversary of the assassination of Quds Force commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards - Qassem Suleimani and deputy head of the Iraqi People's Recruiting Forces Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis in a US attack near Baghdad airport in January 2020.

Five missiles were fired on Wednesday evening at the Iraqi military base at Ein al-Assad, located in the west of the country, where military advisers from international coalition forces are located, hours after eight missiles were launched at a base where its forces are located in northeastern Syria.

This is the third attack of its kind since Monday in Iraq. On Tuesday, Ein al-Assad was attacked by two suicide bombers equipped with explosives, while a US diplomatic center at Baghdad airport was attacked with 2 drones. Both attacks were foiled and did not cause casualties or damage, a source in the International Coalition told AFP. No one has claimed responsibility for these attacks.

Regarding the attack in Syria, the coalition announced on Wednesday, "Coalition forces were attacked this morning with eight rockets" fired at the base at the al-Omar oil field in the rural area of Deir a-Zour district.

The coalition accused "Iranian-backed malicious elements" of firing the rockets.

"Our coalition continues to see threats to our forces in Iraq and Syria from Iran-backed militias," said coalition force commander General John Brennan.

On the reasons for the escalation in attacks from the beginning of the year, the editor-in-chief of the Al-Sharq News website, Firas Alawi, linked the faltering negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue in Vienna on the one hand. And on the other hand with the second anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Suleimani in a US air strike, so the message from Tehran was twofold.

Alawi noted that the magnitude of the US response to the attack by Iranian militias on the al-Omar oil field came as a surprise to the Iranian militias, as US forces responded by attacking Iranian militias in Deir Azor, Al-Bukhmal and al-Miyadin, causing Iranian militias to escalate and attack al-Assad in the city.

He noted that the Iranian escalation came after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's statements at the Manama summit, in which he confirmed that US forces would not leave the Middle East, contrary to Tehran's hopes that US forces would leave the region, which would increase Iran's influence In the area.

In an interview with Baladi News, Khalifa added that the coalition would reinforce the Al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria with additional forces and equipment, which is an indication that the US will respond with force to any provocation and attacks by Iranian militias.