American warplanes launched a major campaign in Syria and Iraq, destroying or severely damaging most of the Iranian and militia targets they struck. According to the Pentagon, more than 80 of the 85 targets in Syria and Iraq were destroyed or rendered inoperable. The targets included command hubs, intelligence centers, depots for rockets, missiles, and attack drones, as well as logistics and ammunition bunkers.
The strikes were in response to a drone attack in Jordan by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that killed three American soldiers and injured at least 40 more service members. The Pentagon has stated that this is just the beginning of their response, with additional actions to be taken.
While the strikes have shown the limits of the American campaign, U.S. officials are focused on deterring future attacks against U.S. troops and merchant ships in the Red Sea. However, the militias targeted still retain the majority of their capability to carry out future attacks.
The strikes resulted in casualties, with at least 39 people killed in Syria and Iraq, including civilians. The region is now on edge, with the potential for a broader conflict looming, despite the administration’s insistence that it does not want war with Iran.
The militias have shown no signs of being deterred, as evidenced by subsequent rocket and drone attacks on U.S. military outposts in Syria. U.S. forces have responded by destroying Houthi land-based and anti-ship cruise missiles that posed an imminent threat.
The situation remains tense, with U.S. forces carrying out further strikes against explosives-laden naval drones that posed an imminent threat to ships in the region. Overall, Iran-backed militias have carried out numerous attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq, including drone, rocket, and missile attacks.