In retaliation for a drone attack in Jordan on January 28 that killed three U.S. soldiers, the U.S. Air Force has launched airstrikes against Iranian armed forces and militias they support in Iraq and Syria, according to U.S.**.
The U.S. ** Command announced in a statement:
At 4:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, forces from U.S. Command ** (CENTCOM) carried out precision strikes against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militias in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. military used a variety of warplanes, including long-range bombers, to carry out air strikes on more than 85 targets and drop more than 125 precision-guided munitions. The destroyed facilities included command and control centers, intelligence collection points, rocket and missile depots, drone bases, and logistics and ammunition chain facilities for militia groups and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that support operations against the United States and coalition forces. ”
More than 160 recent attacks against the United States have been reported in places such as Iraq, Syria and Jordan. In response to these attacks, the United States has targeted members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its local organizations, including Allah al-Khattab, Iraqi Islamic Resistance and the Syrian army.
Although Iranian officials insist that the attacks have nothing to do with them, the United States insists that Iran manipulates these anti-American actions and doubts Iran's actual control over these anti-American forces.
During the operation, B-1B variable-sweep wing strategic bombers were put into operation and successfully bombed 85 targets in Iraq and Syria, scattered across eight different areas.
It is worth noting that these B-1B bombers were not deployed in the Gulf region, but took off directly from the continental United States and conducted an intercontinental bombing operation. The bomber group rendezvous with the British tanker over the Atlantic Ocean and quickly moved to the Middle East to carry out bombing missions through air refueling. This operation fully demonstrated the excellent combat capability and long-range strike capability of strategic bombers.
In response to the U.S. attack, the Iranian side has maintained a high level of alert.
Although the U.S. military did not directly launch air strikes on Iranian soil, Iran's air defense forces near the Iraqi border have been raised to the highest alert level, and its ballistic missile forces are ready for combat. If the United States dares to launch air strikes on Iran, Iran will immediately launch a fierce missile counterattack against US military bases in Iraq, Syria, and other countries.
However, so far, the U.S. side has not revealed its intention to launch an attack on Iranian soil.
Iraq and Syria, two countries caught in the middle of the U.S.-Iran rivalry, have undoubtedly become the most innocent victims. When two great powers fight fiercely on their soil, they can only bear the pain of the war. For example, anti-American forces in Iraq, although nominally part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), were actually formed in the course of the fight against ISIS extremist forces.
At present, there have been rumors on the Internet that the US military has attacked the Qaim ammunition warehouse in Iraq, which once again proves the cruelty and ruthlessness of the war.
In the aftermath of the air strikes, the spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, Yahya Rasul, quickly issued a statement strongly condemning the US attack on Iraq as a violation of its sovereignty. The statement further pointed out that the actions of the US military not only damage the interests of Iraq, but are more likely to involve Iraq in a larger-scale conflict, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Iraqi people.