In retaliation for last weekend’s attack in Jordan that claimed the lives of three US soldiers, the US military conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Friday against over 85 targets ‘connected’ to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it supports.
President Joe Biden’s government responded to the attack by Iran-backed fighters with a multi-tiered strategy that included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the US. More US military actions are anticipated in the next few days.
The US strikes indicate a further escalation of the Middle East conflict from Israel’s more than three-month-old battle with Palestinian Hamas resistance fighters in Gaza, even if they did not target locations within Iran.
CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria
At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces… pic.twitter.com/HeLMFDx9zY
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 2, 2024
According to a statement from the US military, the strikes targeted logistics and munition supply chain sites, as well as command and control centers, rocket, missile, and drone storage facilities.
According to the military, US soldiers struck over 85 targets in seven different locations—three in Iraq and four in Syria.
Quds Force was the target of the strikes.
Although it was unclear whether any fighters were slain, US Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, stated that the strikes seemed to be successful and that huge secondary explosions were produced when the bombs struck equipment.
However, Sims went on, “We knew that there would probably be casualties among those in the facilities when we launched the strikes.”
He continued by saying that the operation’s timing was heavily influenced by the weather.
On Friday, the Syrian state media said that numerous people had been injured and killed as a consequence of “American aggression” in locations in the country’s desert regions and along the border with Iraq.
The Iraqi military confirmed that the strikes occurred near the country’s border and issued a warning that they might cause unrest in the area.
Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool stated in a statement that “these airstrikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, undermine the efforts of the Iraqi government, and pose a threat that could lead Iraq and the region into dire consequences.”
The attack on US forces last weekend in Jordan was the first to kill US personnel since the October outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
US officials told Reuters that the US has determined that Iran manufactured the drone that killed the three soldiers and injured over forty more.
“We started responding today. It will go on at the times and locations of our choice,” a statement from Biden read. Biden and top Pentagon officials had visited the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware earlier on Friday to witness the return of the three soldiers’ corpses.
Biden has ordered more action against the IRGC and others connected to it, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Austin declared, “This is the beginning of our response.”
But even as Republican pressure on Biden to give a hard blow has mounted, the Pentagon has stated that it does not desire conflict with Iran and does not think Tehran wants war either.
“We do not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else, but the president and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces,” Austin stated.
Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chastised Biden for not pressuring Iran hard enough and for his tardiness in reacting.
“The Biden administration spent nearly a week foolishly telegraphing US intentions to our adversaries, giving them time to relocate and hide,” Wicker stated.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi declared prior to Friday’s retaliatory strikes that his country would not start a war but would “respond strongly” to anyone who attempted to intimidate it.
The Biden administration has not spoken with Iran since the attack on Jordan, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
In Syria, where the US has 900 troops, and Iraq, where the US has about 2,500 troops, Iranian advisors support armed groups.
Since Israel began its ruthless bombardment and invasion of Gaza, US troops have been targeted more than 160 times in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, leaving the besieged enclave’s Palestinian residents with few options for escape.
According to them, the goal of the Houthi militants in Yemen is to help the Palestinian people against Israel, which is why they have been launching missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea.
In the meantime, Washington and Baghdad have decided to form a committee to begin discussions about the future of the US-led military alliance in Iraq. The committee’s goal is to establish a timeline for the gradual withdrawal of US forces and the dissolution of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State.
Kirby claimed that advance notice of Friday’s strikes was given to the Iraqi authorities.
The US-accused Iraqi militant group Kataib Hezbollah said on Tuesday that it will stop attacking US forces.
However, Nujaba, an additional Iraqi militia sponsored by Iran, declared that it will keep attacking US forces in the area until the Gaza War is over and US forces leave Iraq.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.