Headline Roundup • February 1st, 2024
Plans Approved for Retaliatory Strikes on Iranian Forces in Syria and Iraq
Middle East,Defense And Security,Iran,US Military,Iraq,Syria,Joe Biden,Lloyd Austin,Defense Department,Israel Hamas Violence
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Plans have been approved for retaliatory strikes over a number of days against targets in Iraq and Syria, including Iranian forces, multiple outlets reported Friday.
For Context: The news came after days of speculation and commentary on how President Joe Biden’s administration would respond to the killing of three U.S. service members via a reportedly Iranian-made drone flown by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of militias supported by Iran. While some say Biden failed to deter attacks by Hamas and other militant groups scattered throughout the Middle East, others suggest a measured response could aid the Biden administration’s long-term strategy for stability in the Middle East.
Key Quote: On Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters the delay in the U.S. military's response was intended to “avoid a wider conflict in the region” and keep things from spiraling “out of control.” The time since the announcement of a coming attack reportedly gave some militia groups time to evacuate their bases, a senior Iraqi official told NBC News (Lean Left bias).
How the Media Covered It: CBS News (Lean Left bias) was initially cited as the first to report the confirmed plans. Coverage of the retaliation plan confirmation was found mainly in relatively nonpartisan news outlets like Reuters (Center bias). Coverage surrounding the potential retaliation was widespread; CNN (Lean Left bias), for instance, covered U.S. intelligence suggesting Iranian leadership was concerned about escalating attacks by Iranian proxy groups. Coverage from the right was often critical of Biden; The Daily Wire (Right bias) said Biden had tipped off “terrorists responsible for murdering three U.S. soldiers” by leaking information to the press. Update 2/2/24 4:01 pm ET: Added context on CBS News' reporting.
Featured Coverage of this Story
PLANET LABS PBC / AP
U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS News that plans have been approved for a series of strikes over a number of days against targets — including Iranian personnel and facilities — inside Iraq and Syria. The strikes will come in response to drone and rocket attacks targeting U.S. forces in the region, including the drone attack on Sunday that killed three U.S. service members at the Tower 22 base inside Jordan, near the Syrian border.
Speaking at the Pentagon Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that the U.S. won't tolerate attacks on...
MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images
The Iranian-backed terrorists responsible for murdering three U.S. soldiers, and injuring dozens more, in an attack over the weekend have started to evacuate their bases after President Joe Biden’s administration leaked to the media this week that they are gearing up to respond by carrying out a sustained bombing campaign.
The news comes after NBC News reported on Wednesday that the U.S. retaliatory strikes would be a “campaign” that lasts “weeks,” according to U.S. officials.
The officials went as far as to say that the U.S. would target “Iranian targets outside Iran, and the...
The planned targets for U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria in response to the killing of three U.S. soldiers by a drone in Jordan include "Iranian personnel and facilities", CBS News reported on Thursday, citing American officials.
The United States has assessed that the drone, which also wounded more than 40 people, was made by Iran, four U.S. officials told Reuters. Sources said Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards were pulling senior officers out of Syria.
The CBS report follows days of conjecture about how Washington would retaliate after three U.S. soldiers were killed...
