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Iran-Backed Militia Claims First-Ever FPV Drone Strike on US Base in Baghdad, Video
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Video published by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah appears to show an FPV drone striking the US Victory Base complex near Baghdad International Airport, marking what may be the first known case of such a drone successfully reaching the heavily defended installation.
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According to Al Jazeera on March 15, the footage released by the group shows a small FPV drone flying directly toward infrastructure inside the US military compound before impact. The outlet reported that the attack may represent the first instance in which the militia has managed to employ an FPV strike drone to bypass US defenses at the base.
For the first time, an Iranian-backed militia has carried out an FPV drone attack in Iraq, an incredibly dangerous new development.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 14, 2026
Seen here, the FPV munition flies around Victory Base near Baghdad International Airport before slamming into a building. pic.twitter.com/yNugU8iQVL
Al Jazeera reported that the video was distributed by Kataib Hezbollah itself and depicts the drone approaching the US facility located adjacent to Baghdad’s international airport. The outlet noted that the attack, if confirmed in full detail, could signal a change in the type of unmanned systems used by militias targeting US installations in Iraq.
The footage described by Al Jazeera suggests a more precise strike method. FPV drones are remotely piloted through real-time video transmission, allowing operators to guide the aircraft directly onto a target at the final stage of the attack.
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This method has become widely used in the war Russia launched against Ukraine, where both Ukrainian and Russian forces have rapidly integrated FPV drones into frontline operations. Small FPV systems—often assembled from commercially available components—are now used to strike armored vehicles, artillery positions, ammunition depots, and fortified trenches with high precision.
These drones are typically equipped with improvised warheads such as anti-tank grenades or modified explosive charges and are guided directly to the target by an operator using live video from the drone’s onboard camera.
Al Jazeera reported that the control system used for the drone shown in the video was not independently confirmed. The outlet did not specify whether the drone relied on conventional radio control or a fiber-optic guidance system, which can make the aircraft resistant to electronic jamming.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had transferred drones and intelligence to Iran that were later used in attacks on US military facilities in the Middle East. Zelenskyy stated that Moscow supplied drones produced under Iranian licenses and that Ukrainian intelligence had identified Russian-made components in some UAVs used in regional strikes.
He also said Kyiv’s intelligence services believe Russia may be sharing targeting information with Tehran, arguing that the Kremlin frames such cooperation as a response to Western intelligence support for Ukraine.
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