President Joe Biden, who four years ago attack former President Donald Trump for sabre-rattling with the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Friday ordered more than 85 military strikes against Iranian targets throughout the Middle East.
The strikes against Iranian assets follow an Iranian drone strike in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. Friday’s strikes targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, according to reports from the Associated Press and NBC News.
The operation, marking the first systemic retaliatory strikes by the U.S., targeted over 85 sites linked to these militias, according to the Department of Defense.
The U.S. Central Command told reporters the actions were focused on dismantling various strategic points including command and control centers, intelligence facilities, and storage sites for rockets, missiles, and drones.
“Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,” President Biden said in a statement to media.
The U.S. has apparently telegraphed to the world that the next round of strikes will occur over the weekend, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal.
This military action marks a notable escalation in the U.S. strategy to counter the growing influence of Iran-aligned groups in the Middle East, coinciding with his administration’s attempts at deescalating the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Prior to the strikes, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had indicated a “multitier response”, suggesting a prolonged and varied military strategy, as reported by officials to NBC News.
Iran has reportedly denied any involvement in the Jordan attack, cautioning against any threats from the U.S.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Revolutionary Guard chief Hossein Salami have both issued strong responses to any potential U.S. aggression.
These developments follow a pattern of increased attacks on U.S. forces by Iran-backed groups since Oct. 7, when Palestinian terrorists stormed into Israel to murder and kidnap more than 1,300 Israelis and some Americans.
Except none of the attacks were on Iranian soil, red lines and all:(
Seems like a disproportionate response. At least that’s what all the smart people tell me about Israel’s response in Gaza to the Hamas killing of 1,200 Israelis.
Bowdoin Steve:
Do you understand the difference between killing enemy combatants and wasting millions of dollars bombing empty desert after giving the enemy a week to abandon the target sites ?
Come on Joe start the draft!
Good job Joe at starting an other war. abut if you are going to fight then fight all the way..
The $ spent on joe’s fireworks show last night could have built a lot of housing for the homeless. Any INDEPENDENT could see that and switch to a TRUMP supporter Mr. King
Alven Brag a Democrat, paid for by Souris, let them go and the a Church Bus got them out of town. And now Souris is in Maine politics.
This is the one and only thing that I can agree with, that Biden is doing. We don’t belong in the Ukraine, and Biden is overall, a disaster for both our economy and our national security! But I support striking these monsters, and any pirates out of Somalia as well….
Nothing like poking the bear. If you’re going too shoot, Shoot to kill.
The war mongering Globalists needed to slip in a war before their meat puppet loses the election.
Congratulations Dems you just sent your children to war.
This is nothing but a political stunt by Biden so he can say he’s doing something in response to the three deaths. He’s not serious, won’t attack Iran or the IRGC in any meaningful way and won’t reinstitute the oil sanctions. Obama secretly considered Iran his most important ally and Biden is controlled by Obama and his holdovers in the administration. It’s that simple.