In a swift and massive response, the U.S. military targets Iranian-backed militias and the Revolutionary Guard in Iraq and Syria after a drone strike killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.
The U.S. military carried out a decisive air assault on over 85 sites in Iraq and Syria linked to Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. This retaliation comes in response to a fatal drone attack that claimed the lives of three U.S. troops in Jordan. President Joe Biden affirmed that more actions would follow.
The strikes, spanning seven locations, targeted command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, missile storage, and other facilities associated with the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force. Despite the significant barrage, it stopped short of directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the Revolutionary Guard within its borders.
While Kataib Hezbollah declared a suspension of attacks on American troops, other factions pledged to continue their fight, aligning themselves as champions of the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
President Biden emphasized a multi-staged response over time, warning those intending harm against Americans. The National Security Council assured that the targets were meticulously chosen to minimize civilian casualties, based on irrefutable evidence connecting them to attacks on U.S. personnel.
The strikes, executed in about 30 minutes, targeted three sites in Iraq and four in Syria. The U.S. used more than 125 precision munitions delivered by various aircraft, including long-range B-1bombers. Weather conditions factored into planning, ensuring the confirmation of accurate targets while avoiding civilian casualties.
Syrian state media reported casualties without specifying numbers, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 18 militants killed in the Syrian strikes. Iraqi army spokesman Yahya Rasool criticized the airstrikes, considering them a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
Despite warnings and alerts to the Iraqi government before the strikes, Harakat al-Nujaba, another major Iran-backed group, vowed to persist with military operations against U.S. troops. The U.S. holds the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias, responsible for the Jordan attack, with Kataib Hezbollah as a top suspect.
The conflict escalation comes at a perilous moment in the Middle East, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin labeling it a dangerous period. The U.S. has witnessed 166 attacks on military installations by Iran-backed militias since October, prompting heightened defense at the targeted base in Jordan.
As the situation unfolds, the international community closely watches the developments in the region, mindful of the potential ripple effects across geo political landscapes.
Aastha Kumari 
Dhairya Saraswat