US Launches Retaliatory Strikes Inside Iraq And Syria

The New York Times reports:

The United States on Friday carried out a series of military strikes against Iran-backed militants in half a dozen sites in Iraq and Syria, according to a U.S. Defense Department official, marking a sharp escalation of the war in the Middle East that the Biden administration has for four months sought to avoid.

President Biden had promised to respond to a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday that killed three American soldiers and injured at least 40 more service members. The military action sought to send a message to Iran and the militias it backs that continued attacks on U.S. troops in the region and international ships in the Red Sea will draw a response.

Mr. Biden approved the retaliatory strikes, U.S. officials said. He even telegraphed that they were coming when he told reporters on Tuesday that he had made a decision on the response to the drone attack on a remote outpost in Jordan.

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Breaking News: The U.S. conducted retaliatory strikes against Iranian proxies, an escalation of Middle East hostilities after an attack killed 3 U.S. soldiers. https://t.co/OjAoXgvzcJ

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