US strikes back at Iranian-backed groups that attacked troops in Iraq, Syria: Pentagon

U.S. army airplane have performed strikes in japanese Syria in opposition to amenities related to Iranian-backed militant groups believed to be answerable for greater than a dozen rocket and drone assaults on American troops in Iraq and Syria that injured 21 provider individuals, the army stated Thursday night time.

“Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups,” stated Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a observation.

“These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17,” he stated.

“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” he added.

The retaliatory operations have been performed at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East amid the continued Israel-Hamas struggle, in the wake of Hamas’ terror assault on Israel on Oct. 7, and U.S. considerations about fighting that struggle from enveloping the remainder of the area.

“The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop,” Austin endured. “Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.”

America has deployed two airplane carriers in addition to further fighter squadrons and air protection methods to the Middle East to discourage Iran or Hezbollah, the Iran-sponsored militant team that operates in southern Lebanon, from becoming concerned by way of launching a much wider attack on Israel.

Senior U.S. officers have publicly blamed Iran for the greater than 16 drone and rocket assaults on army bases in Iraq and Syria during the last week, which the U.S. believes were performed by way of Iranian-backed militant groups.

Twenty-one provider individuals were injured, in step with the Pentagon’s newest information. Officials stated all of the ones troops returned to accountability after experiencing minor accidents or disturbing mind accidents, however an American civilian contractor died from a cardiac arrest that passed off throughout one of the vital assaults.

On Oct. 19, a U.S. Navy destroyer shot down 4 medium-range missiles and 15 drones that officers stated have been fired by way of Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen that the Pentagon believed will have been headed towards Israel.

The American troops in Iraq and Syria are stationed on a handful of bases supplied with guns methods to assist save you rocket and drone assaults that were traditionally performed by way of militants subsidized by way of Iran.

The U.S. has prior to now replied to those assaults with airstrikes focused on the proxy groups, maximum lately in March.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden stressed out that the U.S. reserves the suitable to retaliate.

“My warning to the ayatollah [is] that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared,” Biden advised journalists, relating to Iran’s preferrred chief.

Pentagon officers have additionally reaffirmed that the U.S. used to be now not ruling out the potential of an army reaction.

“I think we’ve been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas as it relates to these groups,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder advised journalists previous on Thursday.

Ryder pinned the blame for the new assaults in Iraq and Syria on combatants supported by way of Iran and held Iran accountable however he stated he wasn’t going to telegraph any possible U.S. army reaction — “other than to say we would do so at a time and place of our choosing.”

Amid the unfolding struggle between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. has surged army property to the Middle East each in improve of Israel’s reaction to Hamas and as a deterrent to different nations, like Iran and their proxies, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“We’re concerned about potential escalation. In fact, what we’re seeing is the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region,” Austin advised “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

The U.S. has additionally sought to tamp down fears that the struggle may spiral out — in the type of escalation now not observed in the Middle East in a long time.

“The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated at a gathering of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. “But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security — swiftly and decisively.”