The U.S. military suffered a rocket attack near Abir (Erbil) in northern Iraq on the night of the 15th, full of debris images.
Frequent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq have killed one contractor
U.S. President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Syria after U.S. forces in Iraq came under rocket fire.
The Pentagon has confirmed that the U.S. military launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, Reuters and the Associated Press reported on 25. Two officials said that with Biden’s approval, the U.S. military launched airstrikes Thursday targeting buildings in Syria that allegedly belong to Iranian-backed militias.
It was the first military operation launched by Biden since he took office, CNN News 26 reported. U.S. targets in Iraq have suffered a string of rocket attacks in the last two weeks, and last Monday night, a bombing near a U.S. base in northern Iraq killed a U.S.-led contractor and wounded at least eight others.
Biden directed that the airstrikes respond not only to recent attacks on Americans and coalition forces, but also to the ongoing threat to personnel, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. However, the U.S. decision to launch attacks only in Syria, rather than in Iraq, also gives authorities in Baghdad some breathing room as they begin investigating the 15-day attack that killed and wounded Americans.
Kirby said Biden consulted with U.S. allies before ordering the attack. He also noted that the airstrike destroyed several facilities at the border control point, where a number of Iranian-backed militant groups, including the Hezbollah Brigades (Kataib Hezbollah), are based.
In addition, Kirby emphasized that the military operation sent a clear message that Biden would act to maintain the security of U.S. coalition personnel. On the other hand, the U.S. has also acted systematically to reduce overall tensions in East Syria and Iraq.
The U.S. airstrikes are believed to have been carried out at the same locations used by the militias involved to smuggle weapons. Kirby said the airstrikes were intended to cripple the militant group’s ability to launch future attacks and send a message in response to the recent attacks. And a Pentagon official said the decision to strike Syrian targets was made from the top down, not as a result of military recommendations.
And the airstrikes come as Washington and Tehran are planning to negotiate Iran’s nuclear program to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that former President Trump withdrew from, and the airstrikes could complicate an already fragile negotiation process.
While the U.S. has not categorically blamed any particular group for the rocket attack, or any Iranian “proxies” in the region, it has clearly pointed the finger at Iran. Earlier this week, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. believes Iran is responsible for the actions of its proxies.
Recent Comments