WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – After the US military retaliated against dozens of pro-Iranian militia positions in Iraq and Syria, President Joe Biden has announced further military actions in the Middle East. “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,” Biden said in a written statement on Friday (local time). “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” he stressed. “But for all those who wish to harm us, know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
Last Sunday, three US soldiers were killed in a drone attack by pro-Iranian militias in Jordan near the Syrian border. Numerous other soldiers were injured. On Friday (local time), the US military said it responded with air strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. Among other things, command centers, intelligence sites and weapons depots used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and militias affiliated with them were shelled, the US regional command Centcom said. Biden had previously announced retaliation for the deadly attack on US soldiers./jac/DP/he