U.S. officials confirmed they have approved a series of strikes spanning multiple days targeting Iranian personnel and facilities within Iraq and Syria.
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According to CBS report, the strikes come in response to recent drone and rocket attacks directed at U.S. forces in the region, notably one that took place on Sunday and claimed the lives of three U.S. service members at the Tower 22 base in Jordan near the Syrian border.
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U.S. President Joe Biden and Tower 22 base
(Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters /Amir Cohen)
U.S. officials say the timing of the strikes will be significantly influenced by weather conditions. While the Americans have the capabilities to conduct strikes in adverse weather, there is a preference for better visibility. This precautionary measure aims to reduce the risk of inadvertently hitting civilians who might enter the target area at the last moment.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, U.S. forces in the Middle East have been targeted over 150 times by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. The attack on the American base in Jordan marked the first time U.S. soldiers were killed in the tumult of the war.
Following the strike, pressure mounted in Washington for U.S. President Biden to take a firmer stance than usual in the matter. With Biden currently amid an election year, he must respond forcefully to deter Iran without risking escalating the situation into a full-blown war in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, no new attacks on U.S. troops in the region were reported since the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah terror group announced Wednesday that it was suspending military operations against American forces.
There was no indication from U.S. officials that the group's declared halt to hostilities was delaying the American military's retaliatory strikes.