Wall Street Journal:

By Gordon Lubold and Nancy A. Youssef

U.S. intelligence out of the Middle East suggests that Iran or Iran-backed forces are planning a potentially serious attack against U.S. military personnel in Iraq, said officials monitoring the information.

“We’ve been seeing something brewing and developing pretty seriously,” a U.S. official said Wednesday. The intelligence has mounted over a two-week period, officials said. “We expect something soon,” the official said.

Shiite militias such as Kataib Hezbollah have been targeting U.S. troops in Iraq in recent weeks with a series of rocket attacks. Two Americans and a British soldier were killed in a missile attack in March at Camp Taji, an Iraqi base where coalition troops are stationed.

While the rocket attacks in general are considered to be intended as harassment, the new potential attack is thought to be more ominous, the U.S. official said.

President Trump took note of the threat in a Twitter post on Wednesday, accusing Iran of planning an attack and warning of consequences.

“Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!”

He didn’t elaborate. Iranian officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president’s remarks on the U.S. intelligence came as the White House grapples with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday that he didn’t believe America’s foes were seeking to exploit the coronavirus crisis. U.S. troops in Iraq have left three smaller bases recently and moved onto larger installations.

Iran also has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 47,500 cases and 3,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The virus has infected several senior government officials and more than 20 parliamentarians.

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