A missile struck the United States Embassy compound in Baghdad on Saturday, sending smoke rising from the heavily fortified diplomatic site and heightening concerns over security amid escalating regional tensions.

According to an Iraqi security source cited by Al Jazeera, the attack caused damage to part of the embassy’s air defense system. Officials did not immediately provide detailed information regarding the extent of the damage.

Security officials told the Associated Press that the missile hit a helipad inside the embassy compound after entering Baghdad’s Green Zone, a high-security area that houses Iraqi government institutions and several foreign diplomatic missions.

There was no immediate statement from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad regarding potential casualties or the full scope of the damage. Video footage circulating on social media appeared to show smoke rising from within the compound shortly after the strike.

Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Abdelwahed said it remained unclear whether anyone had been injured. He noted that Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq have previously pledged to target U.S. facilities, including the embassy.

According to the report, some of these groups have stated their intention to retaliate for the killing of Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed alongside family members in a U.S.-Israeli strike earlier in the conflict. Abdelwahed added that several armed factions had recently issued threats against U.S. personnel in Iraq.

He also reported that one group had announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to U.S. diplomatic personnel inside the country. The latest incident marks the second reported attack on the embassy since the beginning of the war.

On Friday, March 13, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad renewed its highest-level security advisory for Iraq, urging American citizens to avoid travel to the country due to ongoing threats. The embassy complex is among the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide and has previously been targeted in rocket and drone attacks.

Several Iran-aligned armed factions operate in Iraq under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition that has claimed responsibility for repeated attacks on U.S. military installations and diplomatic sites in the region.

Saturday’s strike came shortly after two attacks targeted the Iran-backed militia group Kataeb Hezbollah, reportedly killing two members, including a senior figure, according to security sources.

Iraq has long served as a flashpoint in tensions between the United States and Iran. Since the broader regional conflict intensified following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the country has increasingly become a venue for retaliatory attacks involving both sides and their allied groups.