What we know about US strikes in Iraq and Syria that targeted groups affiliated with Iran

After the death of three American soldiers in Jordan, Joe Biden promised retaliatory strikes. At least 18 people have died in Iraq and 18 in Syria, among pro-Iran groups and civilians.

At least 16 people in Iraq and 18 in Syria died on Friday February 2 in American strikes, which targeted pro-Iranian groups. Retaliation carried out after the death of three American soldiers in Jordan last Sunday, January 28. President Joe Biden had accused these groups affiliated with Iran of being behind the drone attack on a US military base. Here’s what we know about these strikes.

A response on 85 targets

American combat planes targeted 85 targets on seven different sites in Syria and Iraq: command centers, intelligence centers, weapons centers, but also bunkers. All belong to groups affiliated with Iran and the foreign operations branch of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Iranian regime, as well as its Quds Force which is its elite unit. The raids lasted 30 minutes, with bombers from Texas dropping their payloads more than 10,000 kilometers from their base.

A real show of force from Washington, which declared that the operation was “a success“Our response has begun and it will continue wherever and whenever we decide.”, declared US President Joe Biden. A president under pressure after the death of the three soldiers in Jordan: two hours before the raids, he had witnessed the return of their remains to American soil.

American forces in Iraq and Syria have suffered at least 165 drone attacks or rocket attacks since mid-October, according to an official, but Sunday was the first time that American soldiers lost their lives. This response from the Americans is therefore an opportunity to send a clear message: “If you touch an American, we will respond.”

Fighters and civilians killed, Iran not directly targeted

At least 23 pro-Iranian fighters were killed by these strikes on eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) reported. But this raid also resulted in “the death of a number of civilians and soldiers, injuries to others and significant damage”, the Syrian army said in a statement. In Iraq, the official report announced by government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi shows “16 dead, including civilians.”

Joe Biden, then campaigning for his second presidential term, pledged to respond to the death of three American soldiers killed by a drone strike on Sunday in Jordan, near the Syrian border, where 350 soldiers are stationed. In total, 900 American soldiers are deployed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, as part of the fight against the Islamic State.

However, the American president chose not to order strikes on Iran, as some Republican opponents demanded. The Democratic leader apparently did not target Iranian officials either, as his predecessor Donald Trump did in January 2020 by killing Qassem Soleimani, the former architect of Iranian military operations, in a strike in Baghdad. in the Middle-East.

A risk of escalation in the region?

“The occupation of certain parts of Syrian territory by American forces cannot continue”declared the Syrian army, affirming its “determination to liberate the entire Syrian territory from terrorism and occupation”. American retaliation contributes to “stoking conflict in the Middle East in an extremely dangerous way”, reacted in a press release the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Iraq, for its part, castigated “violation of Iraqi sovereignty”believing that these strikes raised fears of “disastrous consequences for the security and stability of Iraq and the region”. If the United States claimed “having warned the Iraqi government before the strikes”Baghdad immediately denied “false allegations” regarding any “prior coordination” with Washington on these strikes.

Iran also condemned “with force” these American strikes by denouncing “a violation of the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq”according to the diplomatic spokesperson. “Last night’s attack is an adventurous action and another strategic mistake by the Americans, which will only result in intensifying tensions and instability in the region”reacted Nasser Kanani in a press release, without indicating whether any Iranians had been killed in these strikes.

For its part, Washington affirms: “The United States did not want conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.” Because the risk of escalation in the region is obvious, in the context of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The United States has been trying for four months to prevent the conflict from spreading to Lebanon and a clash between Israel and Hezbollah, supported by Iran. But the White House does not want to be drawn too far into this spiral of tensions: the objective of these raids was above all to reduce the capabilities of these pro-Iran groups and to send a message to Tehran and its allies, like the Houthi rebels in Yemen.