Blinken’s Mission: Rallying Support for Cease-Fire in the Middle East

American warplanes⁢ launched a sustained campaign, destroying⁢ or severely damaging most of the Iranian and militia targets in Syria and Iraq. The Pentagon ⁢reported that more than 80 of the 85 targets were destroyed ⁢or rendered inoperable,​ including command hubs, intelligence centers, and depots for ‍rockets, missiles, and attack drones. The ‍strikes were in response to a drone attack in Jordan by an Iran-backed militia that ⁣killed three American soldiers and injured 40 more. The U.S. does not seek conflict but will not tolerate attacks on American forces. However,⁢ the⁢ militias targeted still retain the majority of their capability to carry out future attacks. ⁢The strikes resulted in casualties,⁤ and the region is now closer to a broader conflict. The militias seem undeterred, as they continue to launch attacks ​against U.S.⁢ troops. Overall, Iran-backed militias have carried out at least 166 drone, rocket, and missile attacks against​ U.S. troops in Iraq. For more information, ‍you can visit www.nytimes.com.