A dangerous new phase in the conflict in the Middle East has begun with a major American military operation targeting multiple locations in Syria and Iraq.
Seeking to punish and deter Iran and its proxies in Iraq after an Iranian-backed militia killed three US service members in Jordan. Manned and unmanned aircraft struck multiple locations With 125 specialized munitions, according to the US Army Central Command.
This was a measured reaction, not a knee-jerk reaction, and came six days after a drone strike by the armed group Kataib Hezbollah on the US Tower 22 facility in Jordan.
The Americans took the time to choose their targets, and they had time to consider the message they were sending with each of these strikes.
The latest in the Middle East: The United States begins a wave of air strikes in Iraq and Syria
At the forefront of these messages was a display of American military power.
Official and unofficial sources in Syria reported that facilities were targeted in the cities of Al-Mayadin and Al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Iraqi military sources confirmed that the border city of Al-Qaim in the Iraqi Anbar Governorate, along with other border areas, were subjected to aerial bombardment.
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America hits dozens of targets
Clarification: What we know about the sites targeted by American strikes
US security sources say they struck seven individual facilities – four in Syria and three in Iraq.
Syrian state media reported multiple casualties, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 13 members of Iranian-backed groups were killed.
This action was widely expected, but by delaying the US response, the Americans fueled a collective sense of unease in Iraq, with many wondering – and concerned – what the United States might do.
Iraqis took to social media to report seeing “intelligence gathering” drones in the sky. People have chosen to stay home and avoid public places for fear of being attacked.
However, this six-day wait gave senior militia members the opportunity to hide – or escape – and there were multiple reports of known militants fleeing into neighboring Iran.
The targets and timing of this opening shot were designed to meet—and balance—a complex set of objectives.
The map shows the approximate targets of US strikes
Analysis: Sky News experts on why Biden ordered the bombing raid
President Biden seeks to deter Iran without going to war with it.
The American leader needs to satisfy his hawkish critics in Washington, without inflaming public opinion in the Middle East.
He wants to prevent casualties of American service members without causing significant loss of life in the region.
A direct confrontation with Iran would take the crisis in the Middle East in a completely different and more dangerous direction, and it is extremely important that the United States does not appear to strike positions in Iran.
However, this new American move in Syria and Iraq, which signals the beginning of a new American military campaign, may have unintended and far-reaching consequences.
