Several reports indicate multiple US strikes on Iranian-backed militia on Sunday evening; Multiple United States officials deem the US strikes in Iraq and Syria as successful; Iranian-backed militia fire mortars at US bases; Pompeo: We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy.
On Sunday evening, US forces carried out several F-15 airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia inside of Iraq & Syria. These attacks left approximately 27 Iranian-sponsored militia dead, including at least 4 Kata’ib Hezbollah commanders, and over 50 wounded. The attacks are reported to be in response to the attack on Friday by Iranian-backed militia on a military base in Iraq that left a US civilian contractor and 2 Iraqi security forces dead. Additionally, it is reported that among the dead Iranian-backed forces are officers who were experts in surface-to-surface missiles.
After the rockets were fired by Iranian-backed militia on Friday, United States Senator Tom Cotton (Arkansas) tweeted,
“If American blood was shed by an Iran-backed group, Tehran ought to face swift and severe consequences.”
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated, “We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy.” After deeming the initial strikes as successful, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the press, “We discussed with him (President Donald Trump) other options that are available. I would note also that we will take additional actions as necessary to ensure that we act in our own self-defense and we deter further bad behavior from militia groups or from Iran.”
In response to the devastating attacks by US forces, the Kata’ib Hezbollah group responded, “After this crime, Kata’ib Hezbollah…are calling for readiness to turn over a new page of dignity to expel the brutal American enemy from our sacred land.” With this, Hezbollah is labeling the US response as a ‘terror attack’. There is a significant amount of hypocrisy in a statement like this, given that Tehran (Iran) is sponsoring terror-militia throughout the Middle East in their determination to surround the Jewish state of Israel. Additionally, Iran remains the number one sponsor of terror in the world.
