After an attack in Iraq injures three US service men, Biden orders a strike on an Iran-linked terrorist organization.

US airstrikes targeted an Iran-affiliated terrorist group and its affiliates, thought to be responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq, according to a statement issued by the US Central Command today.
Kataib Hezbollah and allied militants attacked coalition forces at Erbil Air Base in Iraq this morning, injuring three US military members, one gravely, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a separate statement.

The counterattack was conducted at the direction of President Joe Biden, and targeted three facilities used by the groups in Iraq, Austin said.

“Early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants,” Central Command said in its statement. “There are no indications that any civilian lives were affected.”

According to National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, a one-way attack drone was deployed in the offensive against US forces, and Kataib Hezbollah and allied factions claimed credit.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have been high amid clashes along Israel’s northern border, where the Israeli Defense Forces have been trading munitions with Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

“The President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests,” Austin said in his statement. “There is no higher priority. While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.”