Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 4th Feb. According to the US Senior officials on Saturday President Joe Biden initiated retaliatory airstrikes on Iran backed militia targets in Iraq, Syria.
This marks the beginning of what appears to be a series of more substantial strikes against Iranian-backed militias, who have been implicated in attacks on US troops in the region, the Biden administration stated.
News media reported that the United States has initiated airstrikes targeting militia positions in both Iraq and Syria, in response to heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Two US officials confirmed the commencement of these retaliatory measures.
The airstrikes follow a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on a US military outpost in Jordan on Sunday, resulted in the tragic deaths of three US service members and the injuries of over 40 others.
The retaliation came shortly after President Joe Biden attended a ceremony honored the fallen soldiers and met with their grieving families.
US officials suggested that these strikes will likely be more significant than previous actions against Iranian-backed militias in recent weeks, which focused on facilities related to weapons storage or training.
Biden administration aims to strike a delicate balance, seeking to deter attacks while avoiding a full-scale conflict with Iran amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated a multi-tiered response, said “We have the ability to respond a number of times, depending on what the situation is.” The administration acknowledges the capabilities of Iranian-backed militias but asserts superior strength in its ability to respond effectively,”.
“They have a lot of capability. I have a lot more,” Austin said, referred to the Iranian-backed militias.
Pressure has been mounting on President Biden to address the deaths of US soldiers and halt militia attacks decisively.
Iran-backed militants have targeted US military facilities over 160 times since October, prompted some Republican lawmakers to advocate for direct strikes inside Iran. The administration, however, emphasized a proportional response to avoid further escalation in the already volatile region.
John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council said “We don’t seek a war with Iran. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East”.
He attributed the drone attack in Jordan to an umbrella group called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the White House believes the attack was meticulously planned and facilitated by multiple groups, including Kata’ib Hezbollah.
He stopped short of directly blaming Kata’ib Hezbollah for the recent incident, officials acknowledge its involvement in previous attacks on US bases.
US military has targeted Iranian proxies’ weapons depots in Iraq and Syria since October, attempting to deter the militants.
These strikes have not dissuaded the militias, and Sunday’s attack marked a significant escalation, prompting the forceful response from the Biden administration.
Iran, asserted that it does not seek conflict, emphasized its readiness to respond strongly to perceived aggression.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that Iran would not initiate war but would respond robustly to any bullying tactics.
“We have said many times that we will not start any war; but if an oppressive country or force wants to bully us, the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond strongly,” he said in a televised speech in the southern Iranian Hormozgan province.
Kata’ib Hezbollah announced the suspension of its military operations against US forces to avoid embarrassment to the Iraqi government in a potentially conciliatory move.
“We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) – in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement.
“We will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways, and we recommend to the brave Mujahideen of the Free Hezbollah Brigades to [carry out] passive defense (temporarily) if any hostile American action occurs towards them.”
Al-Nujaba militant group’s leader, Akram Al-Kaabi, declared on Friday his intention to continue attacks on US targets, indicating mixed messages from the militias,news media reported.
The United States has initiated airstrikes targeting militia positions in both Iraq and Syria,
US Central Command said that the US conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria “against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.”
According to two US defence officials, cited the targets were spread across seven locations.
The CENTCOM statement said, “US military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from the United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and Coalition forces.”
US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria involved the participation of Air Force B-1 bombers, a defence official told CNN.
The B-1 is a long-range heavy bomber that has the ability to deploy precision and non-precision weapons.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also released a statement in the wake of the strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying the attacks are “the start of our response”.
“The President has directed additional actions to hold the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on US and Coalition Forces,” Austin said in a statement, adding, “These will unfold at times and places of our choosing. We do not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else, but the President and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces.”
“We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests,” he also said.
