Baghdad: US Strike Kills Iran-Backed Militia Leader

Facts

• The Pentagon stated on Wednesday that a top commander of the Iran-backed militant group Kataib Hezbollah were killed after his car was hit by a US drone strike in eastern Baghdad.¹
• According to the Pentagon, the dead militia commander was the mastermind behind the attack in Jordan last month, which killed three American service members. Wednesday's strike comes as leaders of Iranian-sponsored militias have reportedly conducted at least 168 attacks against American forces in the area.²
• Though Washington originally reported one fatality in the strike, Iran-backed militia officials claimed that three were killed, including Wissam Muhammad Sabir Al-Saadi, nicknamed Abu Baqir Al-Saadi, the man in charge of the group's Syrian operations.³
• Kataib Hezbollah declared last week that the organization would no longer target US forces. American aircraft have since attacked several militia locations in Syria and Iraq. Following the strike, Iraqi MPs once again called for the withdrawal of US forces from their nation.⁴
• The US Central Command claimed responsibility for the Baghdad attack, stating there were "no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties at this time."⁵
• The Biden administration has cautiously indicated that it has no intention of starting a conflict with Tehran. Wednesday's drone strike comes as the war in Gaza continues and the Iran-sponsored Houthis in Yemen continue to assault commercial ships in the Red Sea.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²WSJ, ³AP News, ⁴NPR Online News, ⁵The Guardian and ⁶POLITICO.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by VOA. The message from Washington is clear: if US forces are attacked, it will do everything it takes to protect its troops and interests. The US has no intention of backing down when challenged, and those responsible will be held accountable with a multi-tiered response.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. While Iraq may have previously supported the presence of US troops in the fight against the Islamic State, America's broadening regional conflicts have now caused more death and destruction in the country than there otherwise would be. It's time for the US to remove its 2.5k troops from Iraq.

Predictions