On Wednesday morning local time, U.S. fighter jets targeted two sites in Iraq used by militants linked to Iran, as confirmed by U.S. Central Command and defense officials.
These airstrikes mark the fourth round of U.S. retaliation in response to frequent attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed groups.
The attacks began in mid-October, shortly after a deadly terror attack by Hamas on Israel. The Pentagon has reported over five dozen such attacks since then.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that U.S. forces have been attacked approximately 66 times since October 17, with 32 incidents in Iraq and 34 in Syria.
The recent strikes were prompted by militants launching close-range ballistic missiles at U.S. forces on al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, injuring up to eight service members.
This marked the first use of ballistic missiles against Americans in the region since mid-October, viewed by the U.S. as a definite escalation.
In response, U.S. Central Command conducted precise strikes against two facilities in Iraq on November 22. The targets were associated with Iran and Iran-backed groups, responding to the attacks on U.S. and Coalition forces, including the one on November 21 involving close-range ballistic missiles.
The strikes focused on a command and control node and an operations center used by Kataib Hezbollah to target U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. officials revealed that members of the militant group were present during the strikes, and there are indications of potential casualties, pending a full damage assessment.
Apart from the pre-planned retaliatory airstrikes, there have been instances of immediate counterstrikes by American forces against Iran-linked attackers.
The most recent occurred when an AC-130 gunship detected militants launching ballistic missiles, resulting in a self-defense strike that caused hostile fatalities.
Earlier U.S. airstrikes targeted weapon storage facilities, a safe house, and a command and control center in Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxy militants.
The U.S. emphasizes that it does not seek conflict but considers these attacks unacceptable and holds Iran accountable. Officials emphasize the commitment to protecting U.S. forces and taking further measures if necessary.
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