The U.S. military carried out strikes on three sites used by Iran-backed forces in Iraq on Dec. 25 after an attack wounded American personnel earlier that day, Austin has said.

The U.S. military has launched strikes on three installations in Iraq targeting what it said was a terrorist group backed by Iran that Washington has accused of a series of attacks on American personnel, including one Monday that left three people injured.
"At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement late Monday.


In a separate statement, U.S. Central Command said "early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.” Centcom added that there were no indications civilian lives were affected.

The Christmas Day strikes followed what the White House described as a drone attack on U.S. forces in northern Iraq that wounded three service members, including one critically. U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on that attack on Christmas morning and, in an afternoon call with Austin and other national security officials, ordered the retaliatory response.

The back-and-forth underscores the risk of the Israel-Hamas war widening into a broader conflagration. Iran said an Israeli air strike in Damascus on Monday killed a senior commander of its Revolutionary Guard.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has assembled a coalition of militaries willing to help protect Red Sea shipping lanes after a number of vessels came under attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels based in Yemen. Iran has denied that it is helping the rebels attack commercial ships.

Kataib Hezbollah is an Iraqi insurgent group backed by Iran that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 2009, according to the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. The insurgent group, also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, took credit for the attack on U.S. troops, the White House said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back on international criticism of the continuing war in Gaza, saying peace will only be possible when Hamas, which killed 1,200 people when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is destroyed. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israeli attacks have since killed more than 20,000 people.

In a column late Monday in the Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu also said Gaza needs to be demilitarized and Palestinian society "deradicalized.” He wrote that eliminating Hamas "is the only proportional response to prevent the repeat of such horrific atrocities.”

God1000:
US and Israel should be careful with Iran, unless they want the entire middle east to burn

Botragelad:

Shut your mouth dude!
You must reckon the US and Israel are blabbermouths like Iran who chat on the media for laughs. ISRAEL warns you and they chase you.

Iran has been backing terrorist to do sneaky strikes but when US hits back everyone starts to moan and sob. Look how a single strike from US wiped out these TERRORISTS yet all their attack on US base can't even make a scratch. Don't rile up a sleeping lion.

Iran is a bloody wimp with their hollow threats, they are only good at funding terrorists. If they cock up they will sure get their arse kicked.

God1000:
okay, I'm not in anyway supporting Iran

God1000:
okay, I'm not in anyway supporting Iran and it's proxies but we saw what happened in 2020 when US killed general Qasem Soleimani

Kingosytex:
USA might have their evil side but without them, Islamic terrorists would have overrun the world.
The volume of money control by these extremists is just sickening.

Botragelad:

I don't give a toss. You sound like a wimp who would leg it when your enemy endangers your life. The only way to handle Islamic terrorist is to go the brutal way.

It's tit for tat. You don't smile with these blokes. They are brainwashed and would do anything for their faith!

God1000:
just know that whatever happen in the middle east will affect oil and energy prices in Nigeria

Botragelad:

Nothing happened. Empty barrel makes the loudest noise. Iran!

Javalord000:


Yeah, The pink heart trump gave to US service men from the green zone (most heavily fortified us military zone) attacked by Iran in 2020 was because of the empty barrels.

Maybe you should find out who backed out of the potential world war III, first.

Merry Christmas from all of us, to all of us, with all of us.

God1000:
US and Israel should be careful with Iran, unless they want the entire middle east to burn

Kingosytex:
USA might have their evil side but without them, Islamic terrorists would have overrun the world.
The volume of money control by these extremists is just sickening.

Kingosytex:
USA might have their evil side but without them, Islamic terrorists would have overrun the world.
The volume of money control by these extremists is just sickening.

Kingosytex:
USA might have their evil side but without them, Islamic terrorists would have overrun the world.
The volume of money control by these extremists is just sickening.

God1000:
US and Israel should be careful with Iran, unless they want the entire middle east to burn.

You don't provoke a regional power like iran

God1000:
am a fool for chasIng rats while my house burns. US and Israel should be careful with Iran, unless they want the entire middle east to burn