Three U.S. troops had been injured in Iraq on Monday after a drone assault on an American air base by Iran-backed militias, Pentagon officers stated, resulting in a spherical of retaliatory airstrikes by U.S. forces.

In a press release late Monday evening, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that President Biden ordered the strikes towards Kataib Hezbollah, a militia with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“These precision strikes are a response to a sequence of assaults towards U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias, together with an assault by Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated teams on Erbil Air Base earlier right now,” Mr. Austin stated.

The Pentagon chief stated the strikes are “meant to disrupt and degrade capabilities of the Iran-aligned militia teams straight accountable” for the assault.

Three People had been injured. One service member is in important situation, officers stated.

“Let me be clear — the president and I can’t hesitate to take vital motion to defend america, our troops, and our pursuits. There isn’t any larger precedence,” Mr. Austin stated.

He support that the U.S. does “not search to escalate battle within the area” however is “absolutely ready to take additional vital measures to guard our individuals and our services.”

Mr. Biden was briefed shortly after the preliminary Christmas morning assault in Iraq, White Home officers stated, and he was offered with choices to strike again towards Kataib Hezbollah.

The president “directed strikes towards three places utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated teams centered particularly on unmanned aerial drone actions,” White Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson stated in a press release.

“The US will act at a time and in a fashion of our selecting ought to these assaults proceed,” she stated.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees America’s navy presence within the area, stated early indications present that the U.S. strikes “destroyed the focused services and certain killed numerous Kataib Hezbollah militants.”

Monday’s airstrikes are the most recent in a string of clashes between U.S. troops within the Center East and Iranian proxies, although not Iran itself.

Mr. Biden has come underneath intense stress to extra forcefully reply to the repeated, direct assaults on American personnel.

The Iran-backed militias now routinely goal American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria. The assaults have grown extra frequent within the months because the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a terrorist assault on Israel on Oct. 7.

Hamas, just like the militias concentrating on U.S. forces within the area, is supported by Iran.

Individually, U.S. forces over the weekend shot down not less than 4 assault drones launched by Houthi rebels working in Yemen. The Houthis are additionally backed by Iran. The drones had been headed towards an American warship working within the Crimson Sea.

Earlier than Monday’s assault in Iraq, assaults by Iran-backed militias had wounded not less than 21 U.S. service members and led to 1 American contractor dying from a cardiac incident whereas sheltering in place.