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Roughly 40,000 American troops are stationed across the Middle East, mostly in countries with close ties to the United States. There were more than 160,000 American troops in Iraq alone in 2007, during the war that followed the U.S. invasion. Image Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq in 2019. Credit... Nasser Nasser/Associated PressWhy are so many troops there? A military coalition led by the United States, including forces in Syria and Iraq, defeated it. President Biden has retaliated with attacks on Iran-aligned militants, hitting groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Persons: Jan, Al, Nasser Nasser, Biden, Israel —, Al Tanf, ” Gen, Hossein Organizations: U.S, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Hezbollah, Army, Air Force, Washington, Operations, Navy’s, U.S . Central Command, Associated, Islamic, U.S ., Pentagon, ”, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Jordan, Iraq, United States, State, U.S, Al Asad Air, Iraq’s, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Azraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Gaza, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, China, American, Islamic State, Mosul, Raqqa, Israel, Yemen

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

☆ Widening Mideast Crisis U.S. Blames Iran-Backed Militia for Deaths of 3 Soldiers in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The attack happened at a remote logistics outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan converge. The Pentagon declined to identify the service members who died or their units pending notification of family members. Central Command said it expected the number of injured to “fluctuate” as additional service members sought treatment. It was the latest in at least 164 strikes by Iran-backed militias against U.S. troops in Syria, Iraq and Jordan since the Oct. 7 attacks. It turned out to be a dud, but several service members would most likely have been injured or killed had it exploded, a senior military official said.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, “, ”, Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mr, Austin, Yemen —, Gen, Charles Q, Brown Jr, General Brown, Al, Charles Lister, Jordan, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Roger Wicker of Organizations: U.S, Hamas, ”, Pentagon, Command, Central Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, Joint Chiefs of Staff, ABC, Navy, Sunday, Army, Air Force, United, Operations, Middle East Institute, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Congressional Republicans, Republican, Armed Services Committee Locations: Jordan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Israel, Columbia, United States, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, Gaza, Erbil, Red, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Azraq, Washington, Jordanian, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air, Roger Wicker of Mississippi

☆ Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Vivek Shankar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The attack happened at a small outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 near the Syria border where the troops were based. Other details were not immediately available from the Pentagon’s Central Command, which issued an initial bare-bones statement on Sunday. In 2016, the American military turned Al Tanf into a small base. The Rukban refugee camp, with some 8,000 residents, is near both Al Tanf and Tower 22. Troops at Al Tanf have come under fire before from Iran-backed militias.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, Al, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Alissa J, Rubin Organizations: U.S, Pentagon’s, Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, United, Operations, Pentagon, Navy, Sunday, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base Locations: Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Iraq, ”, Iranian, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, United States, Azraq, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Red, U.S, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air

☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

☆ U.S. Strikes 3 Sites in Iraq Linked to Militias Blamed for Base Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The United States on Tuesday carried out military strikes against three facilities in western Iraq associated with Iran-linked militias that American officials say attacked a major base in Iraq on Saturday, according to the Pentagon’s Central Command, injuring at least four U.S. service members. “These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against U.S. and coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias,” Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement. The attack against Al Asad Air Base in Iraq on Saturday was the latest and the most serious of about 151 such rocket and missile strikes directed at U.S. troops based in Iraq and Syria since Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza started. Al Asad Air Base, in Iraq’s western desert, is now primarily used by Iraqi forces but still has a U.S. contingent. At least 83 U.S. personnel have suffered injuries in the attacks by militias in Syria and Iraq, including traumatic brain injuries.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Biden, Austin, Biden “ Organizations: Pentagon’s, Command, Central Command, U.S, ”, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Pentagon, Houthi Locations: States, Iraq, Iran, Iraq’s, Syria, Iranian, Al Asad Air, Gaza, United States, Britain, Yemen, Al, U.S, Kurdish Syrian, Islamic State

☆ US carries out airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The US carried out airstrikes in Iraq targeting Iranian-backed militias in the country on Tuesday following repeated attacks on US forces, a US official told CNN, including an attack over the weekend that involved ballistic missiles. It was not immediately clear how many sites were struck or what types of assets were targeted. The strikes come just days after US personnel at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq were injured in a ballistic missile and rocket attack on the base. While most missiles and rockets were intercepted by the base’s air defenses, some projectiles made impact, US Central Command said over the weekend. This story is breaking and will be updated.

Persons: Pat Ryder, ” Organizations: CNN, Al, Asad Air Base, Command, Pentagon Locations: Iraq, Iran, Yemen

☆ US personnel injured in attack on Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —US personnel were injured in a ballistic missile attack on Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq on Saturday, two US officials said. The attack resulted in minor injuries, the officials said, though it was not immediately clear how many personnel had been injured. US Central Command confirmed the attack Saturday evening and said in a statement that “a number” of US personnel are being evaluated for traumatic brain injuries. Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets targeted the base and, while most were intercepted by the base’s air defenses, some made impact, the CENTCOM statement said. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia group, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack.

Persons: ”, Biden, “, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Hamdi Alkhshali, Haley Britzky, Donald Judd Organizations: CNN, Asad Air Base, US Central Command, Hezbollah, US, ISIS, Reuters, UN, Pentagon Locations: Al, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Iranian, Gaza, Iraqi, Iraq’s, —, Davos, Switzerland, Aden

☆ US Personnel Suffer Minor Injuries in Iraq Base Attack: U.S. Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was seriously wounded in an attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base on Saturday, a U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said initial reports indicated that the base was hit by ballistic missiles but he left open the possibility it was struck by rockets. Two security sources in Iraq and one government source said the base was hit by multiple rockets fired from inside Iraq. A second U.S. official said the attack was carried out by militants from inside Iraq. Iraq is deeply concerned about becoming a battleground between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Persons: Asad, Mohammed Shia, Phil Stewart, Timour, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Hamas, U.S ., Iraq's, Pentagon, Monday Locations: WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, Ain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Iran, United States, U.S, State, Baghdad, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. fighter aircraft struck two Hezbollah operations centers in Iraq in response to attacks on U.S. bases that have escalated alongside Israel's operations against Hamas in Gaza, two defense officials said. They said attacks on U.S. bases included the first use of a short-range ballistic missile against U.S. troops, which happened Tuesday. The U.S. fighter jets struck Kataib Hezbollah operations center and a Kataib Hezbollah Command and Control node near Al Anbar and Jurf al Saqr, south of Baghdad, on Tuesday, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide additional sensitive details of the attacks. There were Kataib Hezbollah personnel at both sites at the time of the strikes but the officials said they could not yet confirm whether anyone there was killed. To date, U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have been struck 66 times since Oct. 17, the day a blast at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds.

Persons: Jurf al Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, U.S, Hezbollah Command, Asad Air Base, American Locations: — U.S, Iraq, Gaza, U.S, Al Anbar, Baghdad, Iranian, Iran, Syria

With a power vacuum and years of civil conflict following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, militias grew and multiplied in Iraq, some supported by Iran. While he came to power with the Iranian-backed groups' support, he also wants continued good relations with the U.S. and has backed the ongoing presence of American troops in his country. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with al-Sudani this month, warned of consequences if Iranian-backed militias continued to attack U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria. An official with one of the Iranian-backed militias said al-Sudani put “great pressure” on the militias not to carry out attacks during Blinken's visit. But the U.S. military response to the attacks on its forces has been minimal.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Asad, Haq, Badr, Bashar Assad, Mohammed Shia, Antony Blinken, Sudani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, —, Qassim Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al, Muhandis, Qassim Abdul Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Islamic, Hamas, Pentagon, Islamic Jihad, WHO, State, Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Officials, Quds Force, Military, Associated Press Locations: Iraq, Syria, Islamic State, skyrocket, U.S, The U.S, Baghdad, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Al, Tehran, Boukamal, Maysulun, Deir el, Bulbul, Mayadin ., IRAQ, Zahra

☆ Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah says attacks aim to 'drain' US, sanctions 'ridiculous'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020. The United States has blamed Iran and militia groups it supports for the more than 60 attacks since mid-October as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7. At least 59 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in the attacks, though all have returned to duty so far. The U.S. State Department also designated militia group Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada and its secretary general, Abu Ala al-Walai, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. In a statement posted on Telegram late on Friday, Walai described the sanctions as "a medal of honour."

Persons: Asad, John Davison, Abu Ali Al, Askari, Sayyid, Abu Ala, Walai, Timour Azhari, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, United, Saturday, Treasury, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S . State Department, Terrorists, Militia, Israel, Thomson Locations: U.S, Anbar province, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iran, Syria, United States, Israel, State, Gaza

As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas conflict, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 19 times in Iraq and in Syria by Iran-backed forces in the past week. The targets were weapons and munitions storage facilities, the official added, speaking late on Thursday to reporters in Washington. The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces. In March, the U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups that it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor. There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin III, Olivier Matthys, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Abu Kamal, Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Rights, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, United, Iranian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Syria, Iraq, Israel, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Syrian, Washington, United States, Tehran, State, East, Yemen

☆ U.S. Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The targets represent a significant escalation in striking facilities used by Iran’s own forces in the region, not just the militias in Iraq and Syria that it helps arm and train. “These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Mr. Austin said. Since Oct. 17, Iran-backed militia have carried out at least 12 rocket or one-way attack drone strikes against U.S. troops in Iraq and at least four attacks in Syria, Brig. There are 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, mainly helping local allies conduct counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State. “I believe there is concern that our bases in Syria and Iraq, especially Syria, could be attacked by a wave of drones and it could overwhelm the defenses currently there,” Mick Mulroy, a former defense official and retired C.I.A.

Persons: Biden, Lloyd J, Austin III, Mr, Austin, ” Mr, “, Patrick S, Ryder, ” Mick Mulroy, General Ryder, Al Asad, we’ve, ” Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, American, U.S, ”, Hamas, U.S ., Pentagon, Iran, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Islamic Locations: States, Syria, Iraq, Iran, East, U.S, Iranian, United States, Israel, Lebanon, Persian, Erbil, Al Asad Air, Brig, Islamic State

Jacquelyn... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said on Thursday. A total of 21 U.S. forces have suffered minor injuries, the vast majority of them traumatic brain injuries. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say. During a false alarm at Al-Asad air base in Iraq on Thursday, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest. Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chris Reese and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, I'm, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: Ben Gurion, Hamas, Pentagon, United, U.S, Reuters, Area Defense, Patriot, Iranian, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, WASHINGTON, Iran, Iraq, Syria, U.S, United States, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian

☆ 900 US Troops Heading to Middle East to Bolster Defenses as Attacks Surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Idrees Ali and Phil StewartWASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said on Thursday. A total of 21 U.S. forces have suffered minor injuries, the vast majority of them traumatic brain injuries. Ryder said U.S. forces were again targeted earlier on Thursday in Iraq but the attack failed. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say. During a false alarm at Al-Asad air base in Iraq on Thursday, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest.

Persons: Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, I'm, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Asad, Phil Stewart, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: Pentagon, United, U.S, Reuters, Area Defense, Patriot, Iranian, United Nations, Palestinian Locations: Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, U.S, United States, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian

☆ US Strikes Iranian Targets in Syria -Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The targets were weapons and munitions storage facilities, the official added, speaking late on Thursday to reporters in Washington. The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces. In March, the U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups that it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor. There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets. The United States did not coordinate the strikes with Israel, the official added.

Persons: Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Abu Kamal, Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Asad, Phil Stewart, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, United, Iranian, Reuters Locations: Syria, Iraq, Israel, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Syrian, Washington, United States, Tehran, State, East, Yemen

[1/3] A U.S army soldier stands with his weapon at a military base in the Makhmour area near Mosul during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 18, 2016. A U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not specifically say what might trigger the evacuation of U.S. military families, who are deployed to Middle East locations including Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Senior Biden administration officials including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have warned of the risk of major escalation in attacks on American troops in the Middle East and that Iran could seek to widen the Israel-Hamas war. Austin has ordered new air defenses to the Middle East to safeguard troops, including a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Iranian security officials told Reuters Iran's strategy was for Middle East proxies like Hezbollah to pursue limited strikes on Israeli and U.S. targets but to avoid a major escalation that would draw in Tehran.

Persons: Alaa, Michael, Erik, Kurilla, Asad, Lloyd Austin, Austin, John Kirby, Kirby, Phil Stewart, Chizu Organizations: Islamic, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Reuters, U.S . Army, U.S . Central Command, American, Navy's, Senior Biden, Defense, Pentagon, Area Defense, United, Thomson Locations: U.S, Makhmour, Mosul, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian, Middle East, Bahrain, United States, Tehran

☆ Rockets attack targets Iraqi base housing U.S. forces - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANBAR, Iraq, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Two rockets landed inside Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces west of Baghdad, two security sources told Reuters on Tuesday. One of the sources said the rockets were big, and the rocket launcher was found about 50 km southeast of the base. Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province. Reporting by Kamal Ayash; Writing by Amina Ismail; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Asad, Kamal Ayash, Amina Ismail, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: ANBAR, Iraq, Iraq's Ain, Baghdad, Ain, Anbar

☆ White House says Iran 'actively facilitating' some attacks on US military bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020. "We know that Iran is closely monitoring these events, and in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good, or for that of Iran," he said. "We are deeply concerned about the potential for any significant escalation of these attacks in the days ahead," Kirby said. "We know Iran's goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we're not going to allow them to do that," Kirby said. "We also are not going to allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unchallenged."

Persons: Asad, John Davison, Biden, John Kirby, Kirby, we're, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Andrea Shalal, Deepa Babington, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Department of Defense, Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Hamas, Thomson Locations: U.S, Anbar province, Iraq, Iran, Iranian, Syria, United States, Israel

The incidents underscored the risks that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas could spiral into a wider war. Israel has responded to the Hamas attacks with airstrikes and a “complete siege” of Gaza, which the group controls. About 200 American troops are stationed at Al Tanf, whose main role is training Syrian militias to fight the Islamic State. There were unconfirmed reports on social media of additional drone attacks in Syria late Thursday. “Clearly, this is an uptick in terms of the types of drone activity we’ve seen in Iraq and Syria,” General Ryder said.

Persons: “, ”, Patrick Ryder, General Ryder, Biden, Gholamhossein Gheybparvar, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ” General Ryder, Al Tanf, Al Asad Organizations: U.S . Navy, Navy, Pentagon, Palestinian, Military, Senior Biden, American, Hamas, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s, Guards, Al, ”, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, military’s, Command Locations: U.S, Yemen, Israel, ” Brig, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Gaza, United States, Lebanon, Houthis, Syrian, Al, State, Al Asad Air

☆ US troops attacked in Iraq, Syria and on alert for more strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Wednesday, a drone hit U.S. forces in Syria resulting in minor injuries, while another one was brought down. Earlier this week, U.S. forces thwarted multiple drones targeting troops in Iraq. At least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and 12,493 wounded in Israeli strikes on Gaza, the health ministry in Gaza said. In past years, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq regularly targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad with rockets. Such attacks had abated under a truce in place since last year, and Iraq has had a period of relative calm.

Persons: Alaa, Joe Biden, Al, Asad, I'm, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, Ali al, Israel, Idrees Ali, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, Islamic, REUTERS, Rights, Pentagon, U.S . Navy, Thursday, ISRAEL, Gaza, United, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: Makhmour, Mosul, Iraq, Syria, Washington, Iran, Israel, U.S, Al Asad, Yemen, Gaza, United States, State, Baghdad

☆ Rockets, drones hit Iraqi base housing U.S. forces -security sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020. REUTERS/John Davison/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANBAR, Iraq, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Drones and rockets targeted on Thursday evening the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base, two security sources said. The Iraqi military said it closed the area around the base and started a search operation. Thursday's attack is the third in less than 24 hours against airbases which house U.S. troops in Iraq. Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province.

Persons: Asad, John Davison, Kamal Ayash, Ahmed Rasheed, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ., United, Thomson Locations: U.S, Anbar province, Iraq, Rights ANBAR, Iran, Gaza, United States, Syria, State, Ain, Anbar

☆ U.S. says it thwarted drone attack on its troops in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TEL AVIV, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. military thwarted an attack targeting its forces in Iraq early on Wednesday, intercepting two drones before they could strike, two U.S. officials said after the first such attack on U.S. forces in Iraq in more than a year. The one-way attack drones were intercepted as they attempted to strike Iraq's al Asad air base, which hosts American troops, the officials said. Last week he threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington intervened to support Israel. Dozens of members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the state paramilitary organisation that contains many Iran-backed factions, took to the streets on Tuesday to condemn the hospital attack. Demonstrators chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans and said they wanted to storm the U.S. embassy for its support of Israel.

Persons: Iraq's al Asad, Joe Biden, Israel, Ali al, Hadi Al, Amiri, Washington, Kataib, Phil Stewart, Amina Ismail, Ahmed Rasheed, Ahmed Saad, Clarence Fernandez, Nick Macfie Organizations: U.S, Reuters, American, Hamas, Islamic, Israel, Hezbollah, United, Popular, Forces, ., Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Iraq, U.S, Washington, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Al, Ahli, Israeli, United States, Iraqi, Badr, America, Syria, State, Baghdad, Tel Aviv, Erbil

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