America hits Iran, Iranian-backed militias with dozens of missile strikes
From Fortune:
The U.S. military conducted strikes on sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The massive barrage hit over 85 targets, including command and control headquarters and intelligence centers. The U.S. warned of further retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan. President Joe Biden made it clear that more strikes are coming, but the assault appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 18 militants were killed in the Syria strikes, but it’s unclear if civilians were harmed. Iraqi officials claimed that U.S. airstrikes violated Iraqi sovereignty, while Kataib Hezbollah suspended military operations against the occupation forces. Meanwhile, Iran backed militia groups have intensified their assaults on U.S. bases following the war between Israel and Hamas. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the situation is “a dangerous moment in the Middle East,” and the U.S. will take all necessary actions to defend its interests. As of Tuesday, Iran-backed militia groups had launched 166 attacks on U.S. military installations since October 18, including 67 in Iraq, 98 in Syria and one in Jordan.
The U.S. military conducted additional self-defense strikes inside Yemen against Houthi military targets deemed an imminent threat. The Israeli military said its Arrow defense system intercepted a missile that approached the country from the Red Sea, but raised suspicion it was launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The strikes came just hours after President Joe Biden joined grieving families to watch as the remains of the three Army Reserve soldiers killed in Jordan were returned to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated Tehran’s earlier promise to potentially retaliate for any U.S. strikes targeting its interests. Meanwhile, Kataib Hezbollah has announced the suspension of military operations against the occupation forces, yet Harakat al-Nujaba has vowed to continue military operations against U.S. troops. The U.S. has blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a broad coalition of Iran-backed militias, for the attack in Jordan, but hasn’t narrowed it down to a specific group. Some of the militias have been a threat to U.S. bases for years, but the groups intensified their assaults in the wake of Israel’s war with Hamas. The last attack was Jan. 29 at al-Asad airbase in Iraq, and there were no injuries or damage; however, the deaths of the three service members in Jordan crossed a line and led to the U.S. military strike operation in Iraq and Syria.
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