The United States launched a strike in Baghdad Wednesday that killed a pro-Iranian paramilitary commander in response to the drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that claimed the lives of three Black soldiers in late January.
However, critics argue that a series of U.S. retaliatory strikes over the past week falls short of what is necessary to deter Iran from sponsoring further proxy attacks in the region, which were threatening to broaden Israel’s war with Hamas.
The Feb. 7 drone strike by the U.S. blew up an SUV carrying the commander of the Kataib Hezbollah group and two of his guards, killing all three militants, according to the United States Central Command in the Middle East.
“We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety,” CENTCOM said in a statement following the strike.
Authorities did not disclose the name of the rebel group commander, but the Kataib Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that its leader, Abu Baqr al-Saadi, was killed in a drone strike, leading the group to suspend its attacks on American forces in Jordan.
U.S. officials confirmed the strike was part of the response President Joe Biden ordered last week in retaliation for the deadly attack on the U.S. base.
A broader series of airstrikes were carried out last Friday on targets linked to nearly 170 attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
The strikes, which hit three locations in Iraq and four in Syria, took aim at more than 80 individual targets, the government said, including command-and-control centers, intelligence hubs, as well as missile and drone storage facilities.
Despite what appeared to be a firm military response, the White House faced growing criticism from pro-Israeli advocates who said the U.S. was being too soft on Iran and not sending a “strong enough message” to thwart the proxy attacks.
“Our recent responses have not been sufficient to deter…
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