US reprisal strikes against Iran-linked groups anger Iraq, Syria, Russia calls for UN meeting

Issued on: 03/02/2024 – 18:54

3 min

The United States, which promised more strikes, blamed Sunday’s drone attack on a US base in Jordan on forces backed by Iran.

US forces however did not strike inside Iranian territory, with both Washington and Tehran seemingly keen to avoid all-out war.

But with tensions already running high in the face of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, both the Syrian and Iraqi government joined Tehran in accusing Washington of undermining regional stability.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said US warplanes struck “more than 85 targets at seven facilities”, four in Syria and three in Iraq.

“These targets were carefully selected to avoid civilian casualties,” he added.

But the Iraqi government said civilians were among at least 16 people killed in the country’s west, and Damascus also reported civilian deaths, but a war monitor said all 29 killed in the US strikes on Syria were fighters.

“This aggressive air strike will push the security situation in Iraq and the region to the brink of the abyss,” said Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani declared three days of mourning.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said the overnight operation was “another strategic mistake by the US government, which will have no result other than intensifying tension and instability.”

Hamas, whose unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the current spiral of violence in the region, accused Washington of pouring “oil on the fire”.

Meanwhile, Russia called for a UN Security Council meeting “over the threat to peace and safety created by US strikes on Syria and…