The U.S. embassy in Baghdad was hit by a missile on March 14, Iraqi security officials told Reuters and AP, in what appears to be the second direct attack on the sprawling American diplomatic compound since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began. According to the reports, the projectile landed inside the embassy’s fortified Green Zone compound and struck a helipad, while Al Jazeera cited an Iraqi security source as saying part of the embassy’s air-defence system was also destroyed. Eyewitness video showed smoke and fire rising from the embassy complex, and later images suggested visible damage to structures on top of the building, raising fresh questions about the ability of Iraqi and U.S. defences to shield one of Washington’s most important regional facilities. The strike came as the Wall Street Journal reported that at least five U.S. KC-135 refuelling tankers were damaged on the ground during an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, although no personnel were killed there. Separately, the U.S. military has confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 that crashed in western Iraq are dead, but says the aircraft was not brought down by hostile fire, contradicting claims by Iran-aligned groups.