"Escalating Tensions: US Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria Spark International Concern"
Iraqi government officials condemned U.S. airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Iraq, stating that the attacks demonstrated that U.S. forces had become a threat to their host country. The strikes resulted in the deaths of 16 fighters, including medics, and one civilian, as well as the destruction of homes. The U.S. claimed the attacks were in retaliation for the killing of three U.S. soldiers in a drone attack, and the Iraqi government declared three days of mourning for the dead. The Iraqi Prime Minister and senior military leaders have indicated that the U.S.-led coalition's presence in Iraq has become politically untenable, despite the coalition's mission to help fight ISIS.
