"US Strikes in Iraq and Syria: Retaliation and Diplomatic Signals"

The United States conducted major airstrikes on dozens of targets across Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone attack in Jordan last month that killed three US troops. The strikes were larger in number and scale than previous ones launched since October, when Iran-backed armed groups began attacking US forces across the region in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza. The US strikes killed at least 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, and injured 25 others, leading to condemnation from Iraq, Syria, and Iran. The US Defense Secretary has indicated that the strikes are just the start of the response, but both the US and Iran have expressed a desire to avoid a wider regional war.