The target of the attack was the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (representative)
Washington:
The U.S. military launched retaliatory airstrikes on Friday against Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria after a drone attack on a remote base in Jordan killed three U.S. soldiers.
The United States blamed Sunday’s drone strikes on Iranian-backed forces but refrained from attacking the country’s territory in response, as Washington seeks to deter future attacks while avoiding an all-out war with Tehran – something both sides are trying to avoid.
“Our response begins today. It will continue when and where we choose,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement.
“The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let anyone who might try to harm us know this: If you harm Americans, we will respond,” he added.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the attack targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and “affiliated militia groups” and that U.S. forces struck “more than 85 targets, including a large number of aircraft originating from the United States, including long-range bomber”. ) said in a statement.
“More than 125 precision munitions were used in the strikes,” Central Command said, adding that targets included command, control and intelligence centers and storage facilities for rockets, missiles and drones belonging to militia groups and the Iranian military “that these groups provide and facilitated attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.” army. “
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the attack lasted about 30 minutes, but the B-1 bomber involved in the attack experienced a long flight after taking off from the United States.
He said the Defense Department was still assessing the damage from the attack, which hit dozens of targets at seven different installations, but that the United States deemed it a success and made clear that more would follow.
Iraq’s prime minister called for the withdrawal of international troops following a previous U.S. attack on Baghdad and denounced the latest military action as a violation of its sovereignty.
Kirby said Washington “did notify the Iraqi government before the attack,” but did not elaborate on Baghdad’s private reaction to the information.
Biden vowed to fight back against those responsible for drone strikes in Jordan. Earlier Friday, he participated in a solemn military ceremony at the Delaware Air Force Base to return three fallen soldiers.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Service members after withdrawal.
The three soldiers killed on Sunday were the first U.S. troops killed by hostile fire in the Middle East since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, adding to the growing tensions. tensions and violence in the region and drag them closer together. to full-scale conflict.
Since mid-October, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked more than 165 times in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan by weapons such as drones, rockets, and short-range ballistic missiles.
Dozens of U.S. personnel have been injured in previous attacks, many of which were carried out by a loose coalition of Iran-linked armed groups that oppose U.S. support for Israel in the Gaza conflict and want U.S. troops to withdraw from the area.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen began targeting international shipping in November, triggering U.S. and British airstrikes aimed at degrading their ability to target commercial shipping.
Two SEALs – the U.S. military’s most elite special forces – were declared dead after they disappeared at sea during an operation to seize Iranian weapons destined for the Houthis from a ship off the coast of Somalia.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
