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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif claimed his country's missile attacks against Iraqi military bases housing US troops were merely "proportionate measures in self-defense", according to Business Insider. 

His statement comes as US officials estimated that around 15 missiles were launched from Iran against two Iraqi bases. There were no US service member casualties reported immediately after the attack, but futher assessments were ongoing, according to a US official who spoke to Business Insider.

"Iran took [and] concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched," Zarif said on Twitter.

"We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," he added.

The missile strike follows a series of moves that have raised tensions between Iran and the US: on Friday local time in Iraq, a US airstrike near Baghdad International Airport killed Iran's elite Quds Force commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The US claimed the attack was in response to an "imminent threat" that was perceived from Soleimani.

Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.

We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020