WEB DESK

The United States has conducted overnight airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on more than 85 targets associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias backed by it. According to media accounts, over 30 people were killed in the airstrikes.

The strikes have fueled the regional crisis that has arisen since Israel and Hamas entered war. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani, warned in a statement that the U.S. attacks will result in increased tension and instability in the region. Iraq also condemned the US attacks, claiming they killed 16 individuals, including civilians. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes killed 23 individuals in Syria.

As per US, the strikes are the first part of its multi-tiered response to Iran-backed militants’ attack on its troops last weekend. Additional US military operations are likely in the following days. According to a statement from the United States military, the strikes targeted command and control centers, rockets, missiles, and drone storage facilities, as well as logistical and munition supply chain sites.

Despite the bombings, the Pentagon has stated that it does not want war with Iran, and does not believe Tehran does either. Meanwhile, Republicans have intensified pressure on the Biden administration for a stricter action. 

Iran Will ‘Respond Firmly’ To Attack: President Ebrahim Raisi

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has issued a stern warning against any possible attack by the United States in retaliation for a strike that killed three American troops in Jordan. During a trip to the southern province of Hormozgan, President Raisi said, they will not be the initiator of any war, but if a country wants to bully, Iran will respond firmly. He said, Iran’s military power in the region is not a threat to any country, but a source of security that countries in the region can rely on and trust.

The death of the American soldiers in a drone strike at a base in Jordan earlier this week marked the first US military losses in West Asia since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October. US President Joe Biden has blamed Iran-backed militant groups for the attack. The White House warned that multiple actions could be taken in retaliation for the attack. Iran has denied any links to the attack and said it is not seeking an expansion of conflict in the West Asia region.