Officials in Syria and Iraq condemned the United States’s overnight strike on a number of Iran-backed militias, arguing the attacks would plunge the countries into further instability.
These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for Iraq’s military, said late Friday.
The statement comes after the U.S. approved a strike on seven sites, three in Iraq and four in Syria, using more than 125 precision munitions. The strikes were in retaliation for a drone attack last weekend on a small U.S. military post in northeast Jordan that left three American soldiers dead. The United States has accused the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, of carrying out the attack.
“The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
At least 16 people were killed in the retaliatory attack, according to the Iraqi government, and another 25 were wounded. The Biden administration warned it would not be the last of these attacks.
Despite the attack, some conservatives lamented the Biden administration waited too long to respond to the Sunday strike that left U.S. soldiers dead.
“The tragic deaths of three U.S. troops in Jordan, perpetrated by Iran-backed militias, demanded a clear and forceful response,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in a statement. “Unfortunately, the administration waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including to Iran, the nature of our response.”
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However, defense officials defended the decision, calling the strikes a success.
“We hit exactly what we meant to hit,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “We confidently struck targets that will impact their ability to conduct future strikes against Americans.”