World News

Iran calls US bombings a “strategic error”

Iran has denounced the US air attacks on Iraq and Syria as a "strategic error" after the targeting of 85 locations in the area on Friday.

Retaliatory attacks have been initiated by the United States in reaction to a drone assault on a US military facility last week, resulting in the deaths of three American troops.

An Iran-backed militia organisation was held responsible for the drone assault by the White House.

 

On Saturday, the United States and the United Kingdom initiated a fresh round of collaborative attacks against Houthi objectives in Yemen.

The foreign ministry of Iran said that the attacks on Iraq and Syria would only serve to escalate tensions and instability in the area without yielding any other outcome.

Before this, Iraq expressed that the retaliation attacks by the US would result in "catastrophic ramifications" for the area.

According to Iraqi authorities, a minimum of 16 individuals, including civilians, lost their lives due to the airstrikes.

An official representing Iraq's prime minister said that the attacks constituted a "breach" of his nation's sovereignty and would have repercussions on "the security and stability of Iraq and the region".

Syria expressed its opposition to the ongoing presence of the US on Syrian soil, referring to it as an "occupation" that should not be allowed to persist.

As per an official announcement from the US military, the US conducted targeted military operations against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and associated militias in Iraq and Syria.

Multiple US aircraft, including long-range bombers, were sent, with the latter making a transatlantic flight from the United States.

The US military said that a total of seven sites, consisting of four in Syria and three in Iraq, were targeted, resulting in the striking of over 85 targets.

No attacks have occurred inside the borders of Iran.

According to a US defence source who spoke to CBS News, there has been a single assault on American personnel since the US attacks in Iraq and Syria on Friday.

The incident in issue was a deliberate assault on the United States military stationed at the Mission Support Site Euphrates in Syria, using rockets as the means of attack. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded as a result of this incident.

• Information about US retaliation attacks in Iraq and Syria

President Joe Biden affirmed that the United States would persistently carry out targeted strikes at certain moments and locations of its selection. However, he emphasised that his nation does not actively want confrontation in the Middle East or other parts of the globe.

 

The attacks occurred after a drone assault on a US facility near the Jordan-Syria border, resulting in the death of three US personnel and the injury of several more. According to US sources, the incident was attributed to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a paramilitary organisation supported by Iran. According to their statement, the drone was of Iranian origin and bore a resemblance to the ones being sent to Russia.

The terrorist outfit, which comprises many militias, is suspected to have received weapons, financial support, and training from the IRGC.

Iran has denied any involvement in the assault on the US facility, asserting that it had no participation in the decision-making process of the rebel factions.

An official from Iran's foreign ministry said that the US airstrikes conducted in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen only serve the interests of the Zionist government, alluding to Israel, which is an ally of the United States.

Russia has requested an immediate convening of the UN Security Council to address the perceived endangerment of peace and security resulting from the US military actions in Syria and Iraq, as stated by Moscow's representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, on social media.

As a permanent member of the council, Russia has formed a strong alliance with Iran.

The US airstrikes occurred a few hours after Mr Biden participated in a repatriation ceremony honouring the lives of William Rivers (46), Kennedy Sanders (24), and Breonna Moffett (23), who perished in the previous weekend's assault.

Over 40 other military personnel sustained injuries in the same drone assault that targeted the US Tower 22 military installation.

US Republicans criticised the timing of the retaliatory attacks, asserting that the US had delayed excessively before launching a counterattack. According to American authorities, any delay was attributed to overcast weather, which impeded the visibility of targets.

According to several foreign policy analysts, the delay provided Iran with the opportunity to remove its people, perhaps preventing a broader war between the United States and Iran.