HEADLINE: In response to the drone strike that claimed three U.S. soldiers’ lives, the U.S. has initiated retaliatory airstrikes in Iran and Syria, targeting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia installations. The offensive, declared by U.S. Central Command, heightens military tensions in the Middle East.
KEY FACTS:
Over 85 targets, including control operations centers, intelligence facilities, unmanned aerial vehicle storage, and munition supply chain sites associated with militia groups and IRGC sponsors, were struck in the offensive, according to U.S. Central Command.
Two unnamed officials suggest that these strikes mark the initial phase of a broader attack against Iran-backed militia targets.
The Biden administration aims to deter further attacks from militia groups while avoiding a full-scale conflict with Iran. Iran has denied involvement in the drone attack that resulted in the death of three U.S. soldiers.
President Joe Biden, acknowledging the airstrikes, stated that the offensive would persist “at times and places of our choosing,” emphasizing that the U.S. does not seek conflict in the Middle East or globally.
BIG NUMBER: Since October, militia groups have carried out 160 attacks on U.S. military facilities, as reported by various sources.
KEY BACKGROUND: In response to the attack in Jordan that claimed American soldiers’ lives, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani asserted that the assault was a reaction to perceived “war crimes and genocide” in Gaza. Kanaani accused Israel of attempting to draw the U.S. into a new regional conflict, provoking an escalation of the crisis.
The series of militia attacks initiated following Hamas’ assault on Israel in October, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties. Groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen have pledged to continue targeting Red Sea shipping lanes until Israel halts its Gaza strikes, responsible for over 27,000 deaths according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The U.S., responding with airstrikes against Houthi assets for attacks on commercial vessels, has accused Iran of supporting the rebel group.