U.S. Retaliatory Airstrikes Hit 85 Targets in Iraq and Syria

Defense News ,Middle East :- In response to a deadly attack in Jordan that claimed the lives of three U.S. troops and injured around 40 others, the United States carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Friday in Iraq and Syria. The strikes targeted over 85 locations associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the militias they support, according to the U.S. military. President Joe Biden's administration is expected to implement a multi-tiered response to the Iran-backed militants responsible for the recent attack.

Although the U.S. airstrikes did not extend into Iranian territory, concerns are rising about escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly in the wake of Israel's ongoing conflict with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza. The strikes, detailed in a U.S. military statement, focused on command and control centers, rockets, missiles, drone storage facilities, as well as logistics and munition supply chain facilities. More than 125 munitions were reportedly used in the operation.

Syrian state media reported casualties and injuries resulting from what they termed "American aggression" on sites in Syria's desert areas and along the Syrian-Iraqi border. The airstrikes occurred shortly after President Biden and Pentagon leaders paid respects to the remains of the three American soldiers killed in the Jordan attack at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

The attack in Jordan marked the first deadly strike against U.S. troops since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October. U.S. officials have indicated that the drone responsible for the attack was manufactured by Iran. Despite rising Republican pressure on President Biden to take direct action against Iran, the Pentagon emphasized its reluctance for war with Iran, expressing a belief that Tehran shared the same sentiment.

Before the retaliatory strikes, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi asserted that Iran would not initiate a war but vowed to respond strongly to any attempts at bullying. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards, facing a series of deadly Israeli strikes, have reportedly reduced the deployment of senior officers in Syria, relying more on allied Shi'ite militia to maintain influence in the region.