The US Central Command has confirmed that it conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria targeting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. The operation, carried out at 4 pm Eastern Time on Friday, struck more than 85 targets, including command and control operations, intelligence centers, rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicle storage, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities associated with the militia groups and their IRGC sponsors.
Despite the extensive strikes, the US avoided directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the Revolutionary Guard Quds Force within Iran's borders, emphasizing efforts to prevent further escalation of the conflict. The Associated Press notes uncertainty regarding the impact of the strikes, suggesting that previous warnings may have prompted militia members to scatter into hiding, making a decisive blow unlikely.
While the Kataib Hezbollah, one of the main Iran-backed militias, announced a suspension of attacks on American troops, other groups vowed to continue their fight, aligning themselves with the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The Iraqi government condemned the attacks on the city of al-Qaim and areas along the Iraq-Syria border, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty that poses a threat to the region's stability.
The US National Security Council assured that the Iraqi government was alerted before the airstrikes. However, the situation remains tense, with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi reiterating Tehran's readiness to retaliate if its interests are targeted.
In a coordinated move, the US imposed new sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, targeting officials in the cyber-electronic command and a network of suppliers supporting Iran's ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs. The US Treasury also seized $108 million linked to an oil laundering scheme allegedly funding the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force.
President Joe Biden emphasized that the recent strikes were just the beginning, and the US would continue responding to attacks on its interests. The developments indicate a broader and deeper retaliatory strategy, with the US signaling its readiness to act at times and places of its choosing.