US Forces Carry Out Strikes Against Iran-Backed Militia in Iraq

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • After dozens of recent attacks against its troops in Iraq, the US carried out two series of strikes against Iranian-backed militant groups, according to US officials. Because of the tenuous political situation in Iraq, the US has been reluctant to retaliate until this week.1
  • An anonymous US defense official stated that the aircraft strike targeted and destroyed a Kataeb Hezbollah operations center as well as a Command and Control node in Al Anbar and Jurf al Saqr, south of Baghdad.1
  • The Iranian-backed militias, which were crucial to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's victory a year ago, are now a powerful bloc within his coalition of government partners, but he still has little influence over them.2
  • According to US Central Command, the US military 'conducted discrete, precision strikes against two facilities in Iraq.' The Iraqi government condemned the attacks because it said it was not informed about the military operation on its territory.3
  • US forces killed Iran-backed proxies on Monday after they fired a close-range ballistic missile toward Iraq's al-Asad Air Base earlier in the day. It was the first ballistic missile attack against American soldiers in the Middle East since a surge in attacks began on Oct. 17, and the first instance of American forces striking in retaliation in Iraq.4
  • Since Pres. Joe Biden assumed office, at least 150 attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria have been carried out by Iranian proxies. Since Oct. 17, there have been more than 60 rocket and drone assaults against US forces.4

Sources: 1Reuters, 2US News & World Report, 3France 24 and 4VOA.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Reuters. President Biden has made it clear that the United States does not want the Middle East conflict to escalate or wish to seek conflict with Iran, but will not hesitate to act swiftly and decisively should Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere. Since mid-October, there have been multiple attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria. The US is now responding in kind.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Barron's. In a blatant breach of Iraqi sovereignty, the United States attacked Iranian-backed militias without notifying the Iraqi authorities. The action is equally condemnable to the Iranian-backed militias fighting US troops in Iraq, because the national interest of Iraq is violated by any armed operation or activity that takes place outside of its military institutions. These activities must end.

Predictions