US Airstrikes Hit Three Kataib Hezbollah Sites in Iraq

Facts

• The US conducted airstrikes in Iraq early on Tuesday, targeting three sites used by Kataib Hezbollah, a pro-Iran militant group. The US military says the strikes were in response to the group’s attack on its Erbil Air Base one day prior.¹
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that three US servicemen were wounded, one critically, by Kataib Hezbollah’s attack. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that the Biden administration ordered the retaliatory strikes.²
• The Iranian-backed group claimed credit for the Christmas Day attack, with Pres. Biden being alerted while at a retreat at Camp David, Maryland. The US strikes occurred at 4:45 am on Tuesday, “destroy[ing] the targeted facilities and likely kill[ing] a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants,” according to US Central Command.³
• Baghdad immediately condemned the overnight air strikes, calling them “a clear hostile act” that killed one Iraqi service member and wounded 18 other people, including civilians. Baghdad said in a statement that the attacks run counter to “establishing security and stability” between Iraq and the US.⁴
• Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7, confrontations between the US and Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have increased. Since the war, the US has counted more than 100 attacks on its bases in Iraq and Syria.⁵
• As tensions escalate with Iran, the Biden administration has also blamed the country for attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants. While the White House says it will continue to respond to attacks against US bases, it seeks to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spilling into a larger conflict throughout the Middle East.³

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²CBS, ³Associated Press, ⁴France 24 and ⁵Voice of america.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by National review. The US has been rightfully responding to attacks on its military bases in Iraq and Syria, and it must continue to project strength in the face of Iranian aggression in order to preserve peace in the region. Iran is sponsoring terrorists in the Middle East, seeking to destroy Israel and America. The Pentagon is sending a clear message that the US will not roll over.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AntiWar. The US military continues to instigate as it conducted airstrikes in Iraq that killed and wounded civilians, and breached the nation's sovereignty. Moreover, since Israel’s war in Gaza broke out, the US military has heightened tensions and picked a fight against Iran. Continued escalation and possible war are the inevitable outcomes if the Pentagon continues its strategy of aggression.