By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The USA carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Friday in Iraq and Syria towards greater than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the militias they again, the U.S. navy mentioned, after a lethal assault in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops and injured some 40 others.
The strikes are believed to be simply the primary in a multi-tiered response by President Joe Biden’s administration in response to the assault final weekend carried out by Iran-backed militants.
Whereas the U.S. strikes didn’t goal any places inside Iran, they’re more likely to improve concern about tensions escalating within the Center East from Israel’s greater than three-month-old battle with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.
The U.S. navy mentioned in an announcement that the strikes hit targets together with command and management facilities, rockets, missiles and drone storage amenities, in addition to logistics and munition provide chain amenities.
The strikes hit greater than 85 targets with greater than 125 munitions.
Syrian state media mentioned on Friday that an “American aggression” on websites in Syria’s desert areas and the Syrian and Iraqi border resulted in a lot of casualties and accidents.
It got here simply hours after Biden and Pentagon leaders attended the stays of the three American troopers killed within the Jordan assault returning to Dover (NYSE:) Air Power Base in Delaware.
The Jordan assault was the primary lethal strike towards U.S. troops for the reason that Israel-Hamas battle erupted in October.
The USA has assessed that the drone that killed three of its troopers and in addition wounded greater than 40 different individuals was made by Iran, U.S. officers have advised Reuters.
However the Pentagon had mentioned it didn’t need battle with Iran and didn’t imagine Tehran needed battle both, whilst Republican stress elevated on Biden to deal a blow immediately towards Iran.
Earlier than the retaliatory strikes on Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi mentioned that Iran won’t begin a battle however would “reply strongly” to anybody who tried to bully it.
The Revolutionary Guards have scaled again deployment of their senior officers in Syria as a result of a spate of lethal Israeli strikes and can rely extra on allied Shi’ite militia to protect their sway there.
(This story has been refiled to revive a lacking phrase within the headline)