8:05 pm ET, February 2, 2024
Here's what we know so far about the US military's attacks in Iraq and Syria
From CNN staff
Retrieved from CNN
Responding to Drone Attacks Killing three American soldiers Started last weekend in Jordan: US Army Conducted massive airstrikes Friday on 85 targets in Iraq and Syria.
The White House declared the operation a success, which lasted about 30 minutes, but few details of damage on the ground and deaths or injuries were immediately available. Casualties were expectedA Pentagon official said.
US officials say the attacks hit There are four facilities in Syria and three in IraqSecurity officials have reported damage there Al-Qaim city. Sites belonging to various pro-Iranian militias that the United States blamed for the strike in Jordan.
Here's what you need to know:
US President Joe Biden said the strikes were a testament to his administration Harm to Americans will not be tolerated. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured that the attack was justified “The beginning of our answer.” Both said US retaliation would continue “at times and places of our choosing”.
Biden strikes a delicate balance: While avoiding a full-scale conflict with Iran, the U.S. government is threading a needle — it wants to prevent further attacks on its troops.
The Jordan attack followed weeks of efforts by the United States and regional leaders to avert a wider Middle East war, even as clashes involving Tehran's proxies spread. Hezbollah in Lebanon And this Houthi rebels in Yemen.
According to Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, bomber crews flew into the region on only one nonstop flight from the United States. The Army “hit exactly what we set out to hit,” Sims said, praising the accuracy of the B-1 crew.
The US is not planning an attack inside Iran. A senior Biden administration official told CNN that the U.S. will not strike inside Iran — it will focus only on targets outside the country. Officials have telegraphed that a strike inside Iran would have been a major escalation and unlikely.
