The US military has initiated a fresh bombing campaign in the Middle East as a response to the series of drone and missile attacks carried out by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups on American military bases in the region.
The airstrikes, which commenced at midnight Baghdad time on Saturday, targeted more than 85 locations in Syria and Iraq.
The operation involved the deployment of various aircraft, including long-range bombers from the US, which utilized over 125 precision munitions to strike the designated targets.
These targets encompassed command and control centers, intelligence sites, weapons caches, and supply-chain facilities associated with Iranian-backed militias, as well as the IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and coalition forces.
The bombings were prompted by a series of assaults on American military bases, including a drone attack at the secretive US installation in Jordan, known as Tower 22, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and left over 40 others injured.
The attack on Tower 22 was attributed to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group comprising multiple militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, which has been responsible for launching numerous rocket and drone strikes against US forces in the region since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
Kirby indicated that the United States’ response would span across multiple days, emphasizing that it would not be a one-time occurrence.
He further stated that the initial actions taken would not be the final ones. Additionally, Kirby mentioned that President Biden is actively working to avoid a broader conflict with Iran. Recent media reports expressed concerns that Biden’s communication may have given militias ample time to prepare, such as relocating from obvious targets.
However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin dismissed these worries, asserting that the US response would be multi-tiered and that neither he nor Biden would tolerate attacks on American troops. Biden has attributed the supply of weapons used by Islamic militants in the Middle East to Iran, with over 150 attacks occurring since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Pressure has mounted on Biden to respond forcefully, with some Republican lawmakers advocating for severe strikes within Iran.
The Quds Force of the IRGC, known for its expertise in guerrilla warfare and intelligence-gathering outside Iran, has been actively attempting to drive US forces out of neighboring Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
