US strikes Middle East
© X / Partisangirl
Washington has launched a new bombing campaign against Iranian-backed fighters in Iraq and Syria

The Pentagon has commenced its retaliation for a drone attack that killed three US troops at a secretive base in Jordan, launching airstrikes that hit dozens of targets in Iraq and Syria linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.

"Our response began today" and "will continue at times and places of our choosing," US President Joe Biden announced on Friday night. The airstrikes started around midnight on Saturday local time and hit more than 85 Iranian-linked targets, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The bombings come nearly one week after a drone packed with explosives struck Tower 22, a US base in Jordan located near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, killing three soldiers and wounding more than 40 others. The attack, which the US blamed on the Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, marked the first deaths of American troops in a wave of assaults triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.


Comment: The background for this attack is that on Sunday 28 January 2024, three US soldiers were killed in a drone attack near Syria-Jordan border, following which Biden commented: "Today, America's heart is heavy." After a week of analysis and deliberation, the US is making good on its hegemonic interpretation of retributive justice - as if the US Government needed a PMU drone strike to do what it had in mind to do anyway, but needed 'legal justification' to plausibly execute.


04 February 2024
05:52 GMT

The US-led coalition has targeted Yemen with 48 airstrikes in the past few hours, Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree has said on X (formerly Twitter). The US Central Command earlier announced that the bombing campaign had hit at least 36 targets in 13 locations in the country. "These attacks will not deter us from our moral, religious and humanitarian stance in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," Saree insisted, adding that the actions of the US and the UK "won't pass without response and punishment."

02:01 GMT
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has affirmed his support of Washington's latest military actions, calling the strikes "proportionate" and "retaliatory." "You can't have the sort of attacks that we've seen and see no response - that's whether it be the actions of the Houthis in targeting our trade, whether it be the attacks that occurred on Americans in Jordan," Albanese told ABC on Sunday, Albanese said he does not believe the US-led strikes could spark a wider conflict in the Middle East, insisting "we want to see the area settled down."

01:49 GMT


01:47 GMT
The US-led coalition's strikes against Yemen have complicated matters and moved any possibility of a political solution further out of reach, Iran's Foreign Minister stated on Saturday, hours before yet another latest round of airstrikes took place. He also condemned attacks against Syria and Iraq, describing them as the "continuation of Washington's wrong and failed approach to resolve issues by force and through militarism."

00:00 GMT
The coalition strikes on Houthi military infrastructure were a collective message to the group that any further attacks on shipping will bear consequences, the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared in a press statement on Saturday. He said the reid [Sic: raid] targeted "deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars. "Austin remarked that "these strikes are intended to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their reckless and destabilizing attacks against US and international vessels lawfully transiting the Red Sea."

03 February 2024

22:30 GMT
The US and UK have carried out a series of combined air- and sea-launched strikes against at least 30 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, AP reported citing anonymous military sources.

The joint operation was reportedly carried out by Tomahawk missiles launched from US Navy ships, and F/A-18 fighter-bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower.

21:29 GMT The UN Security Council is slated to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the latest US strikes in the Middle East. Russia has called for the meeting to "discuss threats to international peace and security from the US strikes against Iraq and Syria," UN Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

20:42 GMT US forces destroyed six anti-ship cruise missiles on the ground in Yemen, claiming the Houthis were preparing to launch the projectiles against ships in the Red Sea, US Central Command announced.

17:00 GMT Jordan denied involvement in Friday night's strikes in Iraq, according to the Jordan News Agency. The attacks killed 16 Iraqis and have been condemned by Baghdad.

16:11 GMT
US forces shot down eight drones near Yemen on Friday, CENTCOM revealed in a post on X. One drone was downed over the Gulf of Aden in the morning and the other seven over the Red Sea almost 12 hours later. The owner of the drones was not revealed, and no injuries or damage to US assets was reported.

Four Houthi drones parked in Yemen were also destroyed before they could be launched after the US declared they posed an "imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region." Striking them was hailed as an act of self-defense.

"These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy vessels and merchant vessels," CENTCOM wrote.

14:52 GMT
Hamas condemned the US strikes on Iraq and Syria as a "dangerous escalation, an infringement on the sovereignty of the two Arab countries, and a threat to their security and the stability of the region" aimed at distracting from and covering up for Israel's "horrific crimes" in Gaza.

The Biden administration "bears responsibility for the consequences of this brutal aggression," the militant group said in a statement, arguing that the region "will not witness stability or peace except by stopping the Zionist aggression, crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing against our people in the Gaza Strip, and ending the Zionist-Nazi occupation."

13:53 GMT
US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq that resulted in the death of civilians and damaged infrastructure have "once again demonstrated to the whole world the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington's complete disregard for international law," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. She added that the recent actions by Washington are aimed only at "further escalation."

The spokeswoman described the strikes as the largest US air operation in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, adding that Washington, "believing in its impunity, continues to sow destruction and chaos."

"The recent events confirm: the US is not and has never been looking to solve problems in the region. This state of affairs, when chronic contradictions in the Middle East only get worse, has always suited Washington," Zakharova said, noting that Russia would attempt to raise the issue in the UN Security Council.

11:32 GMT
Iraq's Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee stated that the US attacks on the country's soil "weaken the security interaction" between Baghdad and Washington, while calling for the conditions of the military cooperation to be reconsidered. It also urged the government to accelerate the process of withdrawing US and coalition forces from Iraq, adding that their presence leads to instability.

11:16 GMT
Iran strongly condemns US airstrikes on targets in Syria and Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said, adding that Washington violated the two countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity. Washington's strike is "another adventure and strategic mistake by the American government, which will have no result other than the escalation of tension and instability in the region," he said, according to the statement. He also stressed that Tehran believes that by conducting strikes in the region, the US is simply helping Israel, which is locked in a conflict with the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza. The root of the tensions, Kanaani continued, is "the occupation of the Israeli regime and the continuation of this regime's military operations in Gaza and the genocide of the Palestinians with the unlimited support of the United States. "The spokesman did not address US claims that it had targeted groups linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Quds Force. Earlier, however, Tehran said that all regional groups are acting independently.

10:16 GMT
Iraq rejects US claims that it coordinated its attacks on facilities in the country with Baghdad, government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi said, suggesting that by falsifying the facts, Washington sought to "mislead international public opinion and disavow legal responsibility."

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby earlier said that the US "did inform the Iraqi government prior to the strikes occurring."

Al-Awadi went on to condemn what he called an "aggressive strike" by the US, reiterating that Iraq refuses "to let its lands be an arena for settling scores."

"We affirm that the presence of the international coalition, which has deviated from the tasks assigned to it and the mandate granted to it, has become a reason for threatening security and stability in Iraq."

10:05 GMT
American airstrikes in northwestern Iraq killed 16 people, including civilians, with another 25 wounded, Bassem Al-Awadi, the spokesman for the government in Baghdad, has said. The attacks also caused serious damage to residential buildings, he added.

09:58 GMT
The spokesperson for the UK government expressed support for the US' "right to respond" to attacks, while declining to comment on Washington's strikes in Syria and Iraq. "We have long condemned Iran's destabilizing activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant groups," the official noted, adding that the UK and US remain "steadfast allies."

09:56 GMT
The US airstrikes which hit targets in Syria are yet another violation of the country's sovereignty, the Arab country's Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by SANA news agency. The strikes, the ministry added, are further proof that the US is "the main source of global instability and that its military forces threaten International peace and security," accusing Washington of fueling the conflict in the Middle East region "in a very dangerous way."

09:41 GMT
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has urged all parties involved in the stand-off in the Middle East to "try to avoid an escalation" while acknowledging that the situation in the region resembles a "boiler that can explode."Echoing those remarks, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib has warned of a "real risk of spillover" of the Middle East conflict, adding that the regional crisis will be on the agenda during informal talks of EU foreign affairs meeting in Brussels.

09:23 GMT
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Shiite militias, has said it is carrying out strikes on US forces both in the country and Syria in response to Washington's airstrikes, as quoted by Press TV.

The movement said that it targeted Ain al-Assad Airbase in the western part of Iraq and the al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria at the intersection of the country's borders with Jordan and Iraq. US officials have yet to comment on the matter.

08:28 GMT
The Syrian military, as quoted by SANA news agency, condemned what it called blatant US attacks in the eastern part of the country. It said the raid resulted in the death of a number of civilians and soldiers, with many wounded and public and private property damaged.

The statement added that the attacks also came in an area where Damascus' forces were fighting IS (Islamic State, formerly ISIS) terrorists. "The aggression of the American occupation forces... has no justification other than an attempt to weaken the ability of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies in the field to combat terrorism."

06:40 GMT
The US should withdraw its ground troops from the Middle Eastern countries that do not welcome them, independent candidate for president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said. He claimed that the current escalation would not have been necessary if Washington had not put its military "in the crosshairs" of Shia militias, the existence of which he described "as a legacy of our illegal war in Iraq.

"He noted that both Iraq and Syria have demanded that US troops pull out, while Iran will not tolerate an American presence on its borders. "We must get unwelcome ground troops out of the Mideast, and maintain only long-standing bases welcomed by their national hosts," Kennedy said, urging Washington to forge ties with regional powers instead.

He also described the US troops in the Middle East as "indefensible targets for anyone in the region who wants to provoke a conflict."

05:34 GMT
The US strikes in Iraq and Syria will not be the last in the region, two unnamed US officials told Politico, adding that Washington could now focus on Yemen. The US had previously launched strikes on targets in the country, citing the threat the Houthis poses to maritime shipping in the Red Sea.

04:08 GMT
The Pentagon has published a brief video showing several B-1 bombers taking off from an airbase in the US ahead of the latest strikes in Syria and Iraq. "We will continue to take action, do whatever is necessary to protect our people, and hold those responsible who threaten their safety," said CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla.


03:56 GMT
The chairman of the Senate armed services committee, Democrat senator Jack Reed, voiced his support of President Biden's "robust action," claiming that "the 85 targets struck tonight mark a greater number than the prior administration." "Iran's proxy forces in Syria and Iraq have been dealt a significant blow, and Iranian-linked militias around the Middle East should understand that they, too, will be held accountable," he said.

03:25 GMT
The US has no plans to launch attacks on Iranian soil, and will focus on targeting Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Iraq to avoid a major escalation, a senior Biden administration official told CNN after the latest round of strikes."We do not seek a conflict with Iran," White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday. "These targets were chosen to degrade and disrupt capabilities of IRGC and groups they sponsor and support."

02:48 GMT
US Senator Roger Wicker welcomed the American military strikes, but stated they came "far too late," blaming the numerous attacks in the region on Iran and its proxies."Instead of giving the Ayatollah the bloody nose that he deserves, we continue to give him a slap on the wrist," the Senator said, condemning President Joe Biden's administration for spending "nearly a week foolishly telegraphing US intentions to [their] adversaries, giving them time to relocate and hide." He called on the US military to target the "actual sponsors of terrorism in the region."

02:39 GMT
House Speaker Mike Johnson has condemned the administration of US President Joe Biden of "public handwringing and excessive signaling," instead of a "clear and forceful response" to the deaths of US soldiers stationed in Jordan."Unfortunately, the administration waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including to Iran, the nature of our response," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), concluding that "America must project strength."


01:56 GMT
The strikes were completed in around 30 minutes, and of the seven locations targeted, three were in Iraq and four were in Syria, said Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, who heads the US Joint Staff.


00:42 GMT
Multiple explosions were heard in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, state news agency SANA reported, noting that the "American aggression" resulted in a partial power outages in the area. However, reports of a complete blackout in the province are not true, a source in the Syrian Ministry of Electricity told Sputnik.


00:16 GMT
The US allegedly waited for days to launch its strikes under the best possible weather conditions, as Washington sought to avoid "unnecessary casualties" and ensure that we're "hitting all the right targets," according to Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims."We feel confident - 85 individual targets within each location, we feel really confident about the precision of those targets... strong military targets," Sims added, claiming "we hit exactly what we meant to hit."