Pentagon knows who’s responsible for Jordan drone attack
Iraq condemned the US’s retaliatory airstrikes following the death of three American soldiers in Jordan, calling them “blatant aggression”.
“This aggressive airstrike will push the security situation in Iraq and the region to the brink of the abyss,” Basim Alawadi, an Iraqui government spokeperson, said.
Overnight, the US struck 85 targets at seven facilities across Syria and Iraq. A reported 40 people have been killed as a result, though the targeted bases were apparently mostly empty at the time of the attacks.
The US maintains they gave Iraq a brief heads-up on the incoming strikes, however the Iraqi government said that was not true.
The US used over 125 precision munitions to strike command and control operation centres, intelligence centres, rockets and missiles and more used by Iran-backed militias.
Iraq has warned that the strikes would only heighten tensions in the region where already the stakes are high, though one militiant group hinted at deescalation.
Iraq warns Middle East is on ‘brink of the abyss’ after US revenge strikes
The Iraqi government has warned that the Middle East is “on the brink of the abyss” after retaliatory US airstrikes reportedly killed dozens of soldiers and civilians.
On Friday, the US carried out strikes on 85 targets at seven facilities in Iraq and Syria in response to a drone attack at a remote base in Jordan that killed three American service members and injured around 40 others on 28 January.
The US strikes killed almost 40 people, according to a Reuters report. Shortly after the attack, Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem Al-Awadi warned that the attacks risked destabilizing the entire Middle East.
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 20:00
ICYMI: Biden attends dignified transfer for US troops killed in Jordan drone attack
Biden attends dignified transfer for US troops killed in Jordan drone attack
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 19:30
Jordan denies involvement in US airstrikes
The General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces denied involvement in the recent US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.
In a statement published by the Jordanian News Agency, an official of the Armed Forces “dismissed the allegations as unfounded, emphasizing the Jordanian army’s respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and highlighting the enduring fraternal ties between the Kingdom and other Arab states.”
It contradicts claims made in press reporters earlier in the day, Dana Zureikat Daoud – a spokesperson for the Jordanian Embassy in DC – said on X.
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 19:00
Iraq received prior warning of US airstrikes, senior administration official says
Amid conflicting reports from Iraqi government officials and US government officials, a senior administrator told NBC News that Iraq did in fact receive warnings of American airstrikes prior to the action.
Though the US did not give Iraq a “huge heads up” they said it would be inaccurate to claim Iraq did not know beforehand.
Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, previously said the US’s claim that they notified Iraq beforehand was “lies.”
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 18:20
Watch: US deploys bombers to strike targets in Iraq and Syria
US deploys bombers to strike targets in Iraq and Syria
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 17:49
Everything we know about the US strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq
The US military on Friday struck Iran-backed militants and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone strike that killed three American troops in Jordan.
The US Central Command said American forces struck more than 85 targets at seven locations in both Middle Eastern countries using bombers and precision munitions, just hours after President Joe Biden received the remains of the three service members.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 17:15
US airstrikes in Syria killed civilians and soldiers
The airstrikes the US launched in Syria near the Iraq border killed an undetermined number of civilians along with soldiers, the Syrian state media said.
At least 18 members of the Iran-backed militias have been killed in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The US struck 26 sites in Syria connected to the Iranian-back militias overnight.
The Syrian defense ministry called the US’s attack “blatant air aggression.”
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 16:45
Iraqi militia official hints at de-escalation
An official from an Iranian-backed militia hinted at the desire to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East after the US launched retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria following the death of three American soldiers.
Hussein al-Mosawi, a spokesperson for Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the main Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, told The Associated Press that, “we do not wish to escalate or widen regional tensions.”
Mr Mosawi said that the targeted sites the US was striking in Iraq were “devoid of fighters and military personnel” but that “every action elicits a reaction.”
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 16:06
US shares video of B-1 bomber taking off amid airstrike launch
The US Central Command has released a video of a B-1 bomber taking off from the runway just as the military announced it was launching airstrikes against Ira-backed militias in retaliation for an attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan.
Ariana Baio3 February 2024 15:16
In Pics: US warplanes hit Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters in Iraq
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 February 2024 14:00