A US soldier died on 31/5 during a training incident at Erbil airbase in Iraq. The training, conducted with British army partners, also resulted in the death of a UK service member. The incident is currently under investigation," US Army Central Command (ARCENT) announced on 1/6. The UK Ministry of Defense confirmed the death of its soldier at the Erbil base, adding that further details would be released later.

A US helicopter parked at an airbase in Erbil province, pictured in 11/2023. Rudaw

The deaths occurred on the same day Iranian state media announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked "bases of separatist armed groups" in northern Iraq. A senior official from the Komala party, an Iranian Kurdish political organization, stated that two Iranian missiles hit their headquarters in Erbil province on the evening of 31/5. PAK, another Iranian Kurdish organization, also reported an Iranian missile attack on its base near Erbil. It remains unclear whether these incidents are related.

Erbil airbase is situated in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, close to the Iranian border. The United States maintains a military presence in the region, working to strengthen ties with the Kurds, even while reducing the number of troops combating the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. In 12/2025, the United States inaugurated a consular complex in Erbil city, demonstrating its diplomatic and strategic commitment to the region.

Location of Erbil city in northern Iraq. Al Jazeera

The United States and Iran have previously exchanged strikes after a ceasefire agreement took effect on 8/4, though this did not escalate into a full-scale conflict. On 1/6, the US military announced it had struck targets in Iran in retaliation for the downing of an MQ-1 Predator drone, which prompted Tehran to retaliate against a US airbase in the region. The IRGC later claimed to have attacked the "US-Israel owned" cargo ship MSC Sariska with cruise missiles, in retaliation for Washington's earlier attack on the Gambia-flagged vessel Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman.

Pham Giang (According to AP, Rudaw, Al Jazeera)