This Friday, the United States carried out airstrikes against numerous targets in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias. This was in response to the drone attack that claimed the lives of three American soldiers in Jordan last weekend.
According to a statement from the U.S. Central Command (Centcom), more than 85 targets belonging to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militia groups were attacked.
The selected targets comprised command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, as well as warehouses for unmanned aerial vehicles. Logistics and ammunition supply chain facilities of militia groups "and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. forces" were also attacked.
The statement also reports that the operation began at 4:00 pm (EST) and required the participation of numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers that took off from U.S. territory and more than 125 precision munitions.
CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria
At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces… pic.twitter.com/HeLMFDx9zY
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 2, 2024
The attacks took place just over an hour after the ceremony for the transfer of the remains of the three deceased soldiers concluded, which took place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
It should be noted that both Joe Biden and other senior officials had previously warned that they hold Iran responsible for the attack, as it was the one that supplied the weapons to those who carried out the deadly attack in Jordan.
Likewise, officials announced that the response would be "staggered" over time. "We will respond, and that response could be multileveled, come in stages and be sustained over time," Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated. However, it is still unclear what the next steps will be.
