US Launches So-Called “Retaliatory Airstrikes” In Iraq And Syria

In the evening of February 2, the US aircraft launched a series of airstrikes against the positions of the resistance groups in different areas of Deir Ezzor province in Syria and Anbar in Iraq. Based on preliminary information from local sources, the positions of resistance groups near the cities of Al-Bukamal, Al-Mayadeen and Deir ez-Zor in Syria and Al-Qaim in Anbar province of Iraq were targeted in these attacks.

It is said that in addition to the B-1B bombers and F-15E fighters, the A-10C Thunderbolt aircraft of the US Air Force based at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates also participated in US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

According to the latest information (12:00, February 3), at least 16 Iraqis were martyred and 36 others were wounded in US airstrikes on Al-Qaim and Akashat areas of Iraq.

Minutes after the attacks, US CENTCOM released a statement announcing the details of the attacks as follows:

“At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”

It should be noted that after three American soldiers were killed and 40 others were wounded in the drone attacks of the Iraqi resistance forces on the American military base in the Al-Tanf region of Syria, the US authorities had announced that they would organize retaliatory attacks in response to this attack. According to US military officials, the plan to attack resistance bases in Iraq and Syria will be carried out in several stages and in different time frames.

Read more: US Military Forces Killed, Wounded In Attack By Islamic Resistance In Iraq

According to what American officials and main stream media claim, the US airstrikes were aimed at disrupting the logistics and supply chain of the Iran’s IRGC and the Iran-backed resistance groups in Iraq and Syria.
The so-called retaliatory airstrikes of the United States take place while even some prominent American experts and political figures acknowledge the futility and ineffectiveness of these attacks. Before these attacks, Biden and the US military officials have repeatedly announced that they do not intend to have a direct conflict with Iran and increase tension in the region.
These attacks and this type of reaction actually convey the US weakness. Basically, according to the capabilities and military equipment that United States has deployed in the West Asian region for years, there is no need to use long-range bombers and create so much noise!
On the one hand, Biden and the US government are under severe pressure from American public opinion due to the death of three soldiers of this country in a recent attack and numerous missile, rocket and drone attacks on its bases in the last three months, and they are forced to react to get rid of this pressure. On the other hand, the United States knows very well that such airstrikes, which have been tried in Yemen before, will not affect the process of resistance attacks or stop them, but will certainly intensify the anti-US attacks. Although the attacks of the Iraqi resistance groups continued immediately after the US airstrikes on Iraq and Syria. Therefore, resistance still defines the rules of the game and the US is forced to follow and act on what the resistance dictates. The US’s “show of power” in the latest attack will not change the main equation going on in West Asia.