The United States has launched a coordinated air campaign against targets in the Middle East following last weekend's attack on U.S. forces that killed three service members and wounded more than 40 others.
After the escalation, a debate ensued within the White House about the best course of action to take.
Today's strikes occurred after President Biden attended a “dignified transfer” ceremony for the three slain U.S. soldiers.
Per CNN:
Officials have signaled the strikes are likely to be more significant than previous attacks on Iranian-backed militias over the last several weeks, which have primarily focused on weapons storage or training facilities. But the administration is threading a needle – they want to deter and stop further attacks but avoid a full-scale conflict with Iran breaking out in a region already roiled by the continuing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The Biden administration has signaled there could be additional actions in the coming days; Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday the US response would be “multi-tiered.”
“We have the ability to respond a number of times, depending on what the situation is,” he said at a news conference at the Pentagon.
“They have a lot of capability. I have a lot more,” Austin added referring to the Iranian-backed militias.
Also on Friday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it struck Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Alongside the ongoing U.S. Strikes in Eastern Syria and Iraq, the Israel Defense Force has just announced Airstrikes against a Munitions Truck and a Hezbollah Operations Base near the Town of Blida in Southern Lebanon, likely in Response to earlier Rocket Attacks into Northern…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 2, 2024
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