White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday that the United States would issue additional orders to Iranian-backed groups after two attacks over the weekend in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. He admitted that he “intended” to launch an attack and action.
The US military launched its first round of airstrikes against Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Iraq last Friday in response to an attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers and wounded about 40 others.
The United States and Britain launched another offensive the next day against the Houthi rebels, who are also backed by Iran, in Yemen.
Professor Sullivan said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that President Biden’s “serious response” order is “currently in the works.”
“It started with Friday night’s strike, but it doesn’t end there. “As we continue to send a clear message that when our troops are attacked or people are killed, the United States will respond. We intend to take additional attacks and additional actions,” Sullivan told NBC newscaster Kristin Welker.
Asked whether the weekend’s retaliatory strikes were successful in achieving their intended goals, Sullivan said the U.S. military was still assessing the number of militia casualties.
“We are confident that this attack had a positive effect on the extremist groups that attacked us, reducing their capabilities,” he said. “And we believe that by continuing to do this, we can continue to send a strong message about America.” [and it’s] We remain determined to respond if our military is attacked. ”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Last Friday Said More than 85 targets were hit in the first round of attacks against the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force “and associated militias” in Iraq and Syria.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the purpose of the attack was to stop the attacks, empathizing that the United States “doesn’t want a war with Iran.”
A second round of strikes carried out by the US and UK on Saturday using fighter jets and ships targeted 13 locations linked to Iranian-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities, missile systems, air defense systems and radars. . the Department of Defense said.
Rebels have launched a series of missile and drone attacks in recent months on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea, threatening trade routes against the backdrop of Israel’s war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. It is causing chaos and destabilizing the region. Iran also supports it.
Sullivan declined to say whether the U.S. would attack Iran directly, saying it would be “unwise” to discuss what the U.S. “controls and excludes.”
Houthi rebel officials vowed Sunday to press ahead with military operations and respond to a recent series of attacks.
Ameen Hayan, a spokesperson for the group, said: said on sunday X (formerly Twitter) said the recent attacks by the US and UK “do not interfere with our moral, religious and humanitarian stance in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
Although the rebels claim they are attacking ships associated with Israel, Sullivan said Sunday that the Houthis were attacking ships that had “nothing to do with Israel.”
U.S. officials announced last week that U.S. forces have been hit by various Iranian-backed groups more than 160 times since October last year.
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