Last Sunday, AlertsUSA subscribers were some of the first in the nation to learn of an unmanned drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan that killed three US soldiers and injured several dozen others. According to a statement issued by U.S. Central Command:
The attack occurred at the logistics support base located at Tower 22 of the Jordanian Defense Network. There are approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base, conducting a number of key support functions, including support to the coalition for the lasting defeat of the Islamic State.
According to the White House, the attack was carried out by an Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq. The final line of the White House statement reads: "And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing."
The U.S. response was launched Friday, just after the close of financial markets. Here again, AlertsUSA subscribers were some of the first to learn of US airstrikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed militant targets in Iraq and Syria.
A statement issue by US Central Command provided a summary of the operation:
The US 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 the United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicle storage, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.
A statement by President Biden makes clear that these retaliatory strikes were just the beginning of the US response:
"This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces.
Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing.
The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond."
Readers are reminded that on Tuesday, Iran threatened to respond to any U.S. attacks. According to Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the UN:
“The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts."
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the overall domestic and international threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages and email, of breaking incidents of national significance, as well as any new alerts, warnings or advisories impacting the overall threat picture for American citizens, as events warrant. |
