The Iraqi defense system in the al Anbar Governorate started firing rockets at U.S. drones late in the night on February 4.

The U.S. drones were trying to destroy the airport and military positions of the Iraqi military bases. The U.S. began strikes in Iraq and Syria on February 2 in response to recent attacks by Iranian-backed militias that caused the first U.S. fatalities since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.