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The strikes mark the military’s first known action under President Joe Biden. The site was not specifically linked to the rocket attacks, but was reportedly used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias operating in the region.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the strikes took place “under the leadership of President Biden” and were authorized not only to respond to recent attacks on US and coalition forces, but also to cope. to “persistent threats against these personnel”.
Kirby said Biden carried out the strikes after consulting with U.S. allies, including coalition partners.
“Specifically, the strikes destroyed several facilities located at a border checkpoint used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups, including Kait’ib Hezbollah and Kait’ib Sayyid al Shuhada,” Kirbry said. “The operation sends an unambiguous message; President Biden will act to protect U.S. coalition personnel. At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that seeks to defuse the overall situation both in the eastern part of the Syria and Iraq. “
The site is said to be used as part of an arms smuggling operation by militias. The strikes were carried out to degrade the groups’ ability to carry out future attacks and to send a message about the recent attacks, the US official said.
The decision to target the site in Syria was taken “from the top down,” a defense official said, and not because of a specific recommendation from the military.
The strikes come as Washington and Tehran position themselves for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, which could complicate an already fragile process.
The United States had definitely not blamed any specific group for the rocket attacks or attributed them to Iranian proxies in the region, but the administration had made it clear where it placed the responsibility.
Earlier this week, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States held Iran accountable for the actions of its proxies.
A February 15 rocket attack on coalition forces near Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan killed a civilian contractor and injured four US contractors and a US service member. At the time, Psaki said Biden and the administration “reserve the right to respond in any manner and at a time of our choosing.”
“We will respond in a way that is calculated on our timeline, and using a mix of tools, seen and unseen,” Psaki told reporters, a day after Biden spoke with the Iraqi prime minister, a discussion which largely focused on rocket attacks. “What we will not do, and what we have seen in the past, is take it out and risk an escalation that plays Iran’s game by further destabilizing Iraq, and that is our priority, ”added Psaki.
The US strikes come as Washington and Tehran position themselves for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, potentially complicating an already fragile process.
The administration has made it clear where it blames the attacks, which took place amid heightened concern that Iran or its proxies would retaliate to mark the first anniversary of the US assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
“We have already declared that we will hold Iran accountable for the actions of its proxies who attack the Americans,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday, noting that “many of these attacks have used weapons Iranian-made and supplied by Iran “.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied any connection to the February 15 attack in Erbil, and Iran has not claimed responsibility for any of the other strikes. “Although these rumors are strongly rejected, the dubious attempt to attribute it to Iran is also strongly condemned,” Khatibzadeh said, according to a February 16 report by Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency.
This story breaks and will be updated
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