The Biden administration admitted on Thursday that an American citizen was killed by an apparent Iran-backed attack on Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
The Washington Free Beacon noted that reports surfaced Wednesday claiming that an American had been killed after the rocket attack by “Iran-backed militants sponsored by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).”
A regional news organization identified the American citizen that was reportedly killed, but the State Department did not confirm the person’s identity, according to the Free Beacon.
A reporter asked Vedant Patel, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, about the rocket attacking during a press briefing over the phone on Thursday.
“Regarding the possible fatalities in Iraqi Kurdistan due to the Iranian missile attacks, do you have any updates – have there – do you know of any Americans having been among those killed?” the reporter asked. “Because we have gotten information on at least one individual, U.S. citizen.”
“First and foremost as it relates to the attacks, I want to reiterate that we condemn Iran’s violations of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Patel responded. “And the genesis of your question – we can confirm that a U.S. citizen was killed as a result of a rocket attack in the Iraqi Kurdistan region yesterday, but due to privacy considerations I don’t have any further comments to provide.”
RELATED: Jake Sullivan Dodges Question Whether Iran Protests Will Jeopardize Nuclear Deal