US Retaliatory Strikes Target Iran-Linked Sites in Syria and Iraq

Air strikes were carried out by the United States against Iranian forces and their allied militias in Iraq and Syria on Friday. President Joe Biden vowing further actions as a response to a deadly drone attack on an American base in Jordan.

Sunday's drone attack was allocated to forces backed by Iran by the United States. However, instead of launching a strike within Iranian territory on Friday, both nations, Washington and Tehran, demonstrated a desire to avoid full-scale warfare.

President Biden said in a release that, US retaliation has commenced today and will continue at moments and locations that we select. He also emphasized that the United States does not seek conflicts in the Middle East or any other part of the world, but warned those who may threaten American citizens that they would face a response.

According to the US Central Command, the strikes concentrated on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and "affiliated militia groups." The American forces, which included long-range bombers from the United States, targeted over 85 locations.

According to the statement, over 125 precision munitions were used in the airstrikes. These strikes targeted command and control centers, intelligence facilities, as well as storage locations for rockets, missiles, and drones. These facilities belonged to militia groups and their sponsors from the IRGC, who were involved in facilitating attacks against US and coalition forces.

The airstrikes conducted in Syria's east resulted in the deaths of at least 18 pro-Iran fighters, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor.

Iraq's prime minister's spokesperson, General Yehia Rasool, condemned the strikes as a violation of their country's sovereignty. He expressed concerns about the disastrous consequences these strikes could have on Iraq's security and stability, as well as the wider region.

Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani has recently called for the withdrawal of international troops from Iraq following a previous US strike in Baghdad.

John Kirby, the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated that the Iraqi government was informed prior to the strikes. However, he did not provide further details regarding Baghdad's response.

Kirby informed journalists that the airstrikes lasted approximately 30 minutes, involving B-1 bombers that flew from the United States, which required a lengthy journey.

While the US Department of Defense is still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the strikes, Kirby emphasized that the United States considers them successful. He also made it clear that more strikes would follow.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the chief of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, revealed that at least 26 significant sites housing pro-Iranian groups, including weapons depots, were destroyed in Syria.

Two Iraq security sources informed AFP that a weapons warehouse and a command center owned by pro-Iranian groups were attacked in western Iraq near the Syrian border, resulting in "some injuries." Allison McManus, the managing director for national security and international policy at the Center for American Progress, described the strikes as a "significant escalation." However, she expressed doubt regarding their effectiveness, saying that previous retaliatory strikes did not serve as a deterrent.