US says strikes on Iran-linked targets just 'the beginning'
The BBC's Paul Adams on the routes out of this 'dangerous moment' in the Middle East
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The BBC's Paul Adams on the routes out of this 'dangerous moment' in the Middle East
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Edited by Francesca Gillett in Washington DC
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US retaliation 'likely to be a series of strikes over days'
We’ve heard snippets all week about what this US response might look like.
Earlier this week President Joe Biden said he had made a decision about how the US will respond.
Biden didn’t elaborate but said he held Iran responsible “in the sense that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it,” adding: "I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East.”
Then White House national security spokesman John Kirby said: “It's very possible that what you'll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action but potentially multiple actions.”
On Thursday, officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS News the US had approved plans for a series of strikes over a number of days against targets including Iranian personnel and facilities inside Iraq and Syria.
The officials said weather will be a major factor in the timing of the strikes - and although the US has the capability to bomb in bad weather, it prefers to have eyes on the target as a safeguard against civilians straying into the target area at the last moment.
Missed opportunity, says former US Marine
Mick Mulroy, a former US Marine, says it is likely most of the personnel – primarily Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – will have moved before the US strikes occurred.
“Some will say we missed an opportunity to really inflict consequences on Iran,” adds Mulroy.
“We may however be able to reduce these Iranian proxies' ability to attack our forces by striking these supply lines, storage facilities, and launch sites.”
Mulroy says “proof” that Iran really intends to deescalate is whether it stops supplying weapons “to these proxy forces”.
”If they keep supplying them, then they are responsible for the consequences.”
Why are there US bases in the Middle East?
Raffi Berg
BBC Online Middle East editor
The base which was hit in a deadly drone attack in a north-west corner of Jordan is one of more than a dozen where US military personnel operate across Iraq, Jordan and Syria. In recent months, these bases - ranging in size from a military outpost such as Tower 22, to the Al Asad air base in western Iraq - have been attacked by militias trained, funded and equipped by Iran.
There are about 3,000 US troops based in Jordan, a key US ally, and 2,500 in Iraq - there at the invitation of the Iraqi government as part of a US-led coalition to prevent a resurgence of the jihadist Islamic State group, which still has a presence there after being routed in 2017.
There are also about 900 US personnel in Syria, officially there to support its anti-IS ally the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria's semi-autonomous north-east region.
The Syria government opposes the US presence in its country, calling it an occupation. The US also maintains many more bases further afield across the Middle East, including three major air bases in the Gulf and a port in Bahrain which serves as the headquarters of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
Inside Tower 22, the US base that was supposed to remain a secret
Feras Kilani
BBC Arabic’s special correspondent
The US military base, which became known as Tower 22, was supposed to remain secret, and neither Jordan nor the US would disclose its presence inside Jordanian territory.
But after it was targeted by a drone at the weekend, the Pentagon has been forced for the first time to reveal the location of the base, established in 2016.
In 2017 I was given rare access to visit the base but was firmly told no filming was allowed. We flew there by helicopter from a Jordanian military base in Amman.
From the air, it was clear how close the base was to the Syrian border. On the other side, I saw thousands of improvised tents put up in the middle of the desert by displaced Syrians fleeing the Islamic State group (IS).
The small base was surrounded by fortified barbed wire-topped walls with military cameras, and protected by the Jordanian army from all sides.
I noticed that some of the personnel were in civilian clothes, and saw light vehicles, bunkers and communications towers.
The area, including the camp, was known as Rukban. Shia militia groups and the Syrian army were getting closer in their fight against IS.
And the danger of attacks by the jihadist extremist group was still high.
IS had targeted the American base in June 2016 with a car bomb, killing six Jordanian soldiers who were guarding the entrance to the base.
The three US soldiers killed in Jordan
Three American troops, described as "incredible soldiers", were killed in the drone attack on a US military base in Jordan.
William J. Rivers, 46, from Carrollton, Georgia, first enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2011 as an interior electrician.
His awards and decorations include the army achievement medal, national defence service medal, global war on terrorism service medal, and the inherent resolve campaign medal with campaign star.
Kennedy L. Sanders, 24, a resident of Waycross, Georgia, joined the Army Reserve in 2019 as a horizontal construction engineer.
Her awards and decorations include the global war on terrorism service medal, overseas service ribbon, and the armed forces reserve medal with “M” device.
Breonna A. Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, also joined the Army Reserve in 2019.
Her awards include the national defense service medal and the army service ribbon.
US used long-range bomber in attacks
The US military used long-range military planes known as B-1 bombers in its strikes on Friday.
The aircraft, described on the Air Force website as "the backbone of America's long-range bomber force", was said to have flown directly from the US.
Precision guided missiles and drones were also used in the attacks in Iraq and Syria.
The facilities that were struck included command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rockets, missiles, and munition supply, according to officials.
What we know so far
We have been reporting on US strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria and Iraq. Here is what we know so far:
Secretary Blinken heads to the Middle East this weekend
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank from 4 to 8 February - his fifth trip to the region since 7 October.
The focus of the trip will be working on an agreement to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
He will also seek to get more humanitarian aid into the enclave, the state department said.
"I am returning to the Middle East this coming week to continue working with our partners on how to achieve durable peace in the region, with lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," Blinken said on X on Friday.
But his visit will come amid US retaliation for the fatal drone strike that killed three US service members on Sunday and growing fears of a widening conflict.
'We will do whatever is necessary' - US Centcom commander
General Michael Erik Kurilla, US Centcom commander, on Friday posted to X, formerly Twitter, a video of a B-1 bomber taking off.
In an accompanying statement, he said "We will continue to take action, do whatever is necessary to protect our people, and hold those responsible who threaten their safety".
Strikes a 'proportionate response' - Democratic senator
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised Friday's retaliatory strikes.
In a statement, Reed called it "a strong, proportional response".
He said that Iran's "proxy forces" in the two countries were "dealt a significant blow".
Reed's remarks echo the message being put forward by the Biden administration.
But as we reported a little earlier, Republicans have been critical, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying Biden "waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including Iran, the nature of our response".
You can read more on the timing of the response here
'Substantial American response was inevitable' - ex-envoy
Speaking to the BBC earlier, former British ambassador to the US, Lord Kim Darroch, said these strikes were "inevitable" especially considering it is a presidential election year.
Darroch said the administration did not want to seem "soft" on these issues.
He said he is certain Downing Street "got some sort of warning" but imagines there is a bit of "nervousness" for how long these strikes could continue on for.
"A substantial American response was inevitable," Darroch said, adding that he understands why the Americans responded in this way.
Though Iran denies involvement, Darroch said that once it is in the "game of financing militia groups", you cannot say you did not order this.
"You’re going to bear the consequences," he said.
What was President Biden doing in the lead up to the strikes?
The retaliatory strikes come just hours after Biden and Pentagon leaders attended the ceremonial return of the remains of three US soldiers at Dover Airforce Base. The soldiers were killed on Sunday in the fatal drone strike on Tower 22. The president also spoke to their families.
Senate Republican: Strikes are ‘slap on the wrist’
Reaction has been coming in from prominent Republicans, and some of President Biden's critics are unimpressed with the bombing campaign.
Roger Wicker, a Mississippi senator who is the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the strikes are “welcome, but come far too late for the three brave Americans who died and the nearly 50 wounded”.
“Iran and its proxies have tried to kill American soldiers and sink our warships 165 times while the Biden administration congratulates itself for doing the bare minimum,” he said in a statement. “Instead of giving the Ayatollah the bloody nose that he deserves, we continue to give him a slap on the wrist.”
Senator Wicker also criticised the Biden administration for “telegraphing” the US military’s intentions – talking about potential plans - for nearly a week before taking action.
WATCH: Ros Atkins on... Iran, its proxies and the 'Axis of Resistance'
The BBC's Ros Atkins takes an in-depth look at the increasingly prominent role of Iran, its proxies and the 'Axis of Resistance' as tensions in the Middle East escalate.
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US won't telegraph plans, but more action in coming days - Kirby says
Asked earlier about the timing of upcoming retaliatory strikes, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says Washington won't "telegraph future operations one way or the other".
Addressing reporters, Kirby explains that "there will be additional response action taken in coming days".
But he adds that "that's about as specific as I want to be about it".
Baghdad back channel talks spared Iran but not Iraq
Nafiseh Kohnavard
Reporting from Baghdad, Iraq
Video content
The first reaction to the US retaliatory attacks came from the Iraqi government.
The military spokesperson for the Iraqi prime minister posted a statement on social media, condemning the US bombing on Iraqi territories.
“These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences”, the statement says.
Although most of the locations that were targeted tonight were probably evacuated, there are still concerns about possible casualties among the Shia militia groups, and that’s what Baghdad is worried about.
It could spark more attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria by these groups - putting pressure on the government that is already squeezed between Tehran and Washington.
An Iraqi official told me that in the past few days, while the Iraqi prime minister was playing “an intensive role” to reduce the tensions between Iran and the US, he had sent several messages to the Americans asking them to refrain from attacking any locations on Iraqi soil.
He said the attack against the US base in Jordan was carried out from inside Syria.
But the answer was that “unfortunately, locations in Iraq are the best possible options between all the worst options the US had", the official told me.
Iraq has been a battleground for the US and Iran to flex the muscles since the fall of Saddam Hussein, and once more Baghdad has found itself in the same situation.
In the end, Iran was spared from a direct retaliation and Iraq was the one that paid the price.
House Speaker criticises Biden's response to Jordan attack
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has weighed in to the news now, saying it was "long overdue for the Biden administration to admit that its strategy of appeasing Iran has been disastrous for the international community".
Johnson says the tragic deaths of US soldiers in Jordan "demanded a clear and forceful response".
But Johnson was critical of the Biden administration, saying it "waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including Iran, the nature of our response".
The White House has defended its approach, attributing bad weather conditions to the delayed retaliation.
Watch out for the fakes sprinkled among real footage
Mike Wendling
US disinformation reporter
Within minutes of the Pentagon’s announcement, fake and recycled photos purportedly showing the strikes started to be seeded among legitimate footage and news reports on messaging services and social platforms.
None are yet going wildly viral, but we’re still in the very early stages of this story.
Like the strikes themselves, this was entirely expected – fakes surface every time there’s big news of military action.
Initially they’re usually posted by accounts chasing clout and followers, or people making honest mistakes in the heat of the moment.
And they’re not that hard to suss out. One photo I’ve seen claimed to show the strikes - but was really an image from Gaza, from 2018.
It was posted by a DJ with about 100 followers - in other words, not exactly the kind of account people turn to for reliable news from conflict zones.
More complicated, politically motivated narratives tend to develop later – particularly during more prolonged conflict.
The usual advice applies – take a critical look at what you’re seeing on social media, particularly if it comes from a source you don’t know much about or have never heard of before.
B1 bombers fuelled mid-air and flew non-stop from US
Exact details of the US strikes are scarce, but we do know B1 bombers were used.
Using these B1 bombers shows America's "lethal power across intercontinental range", Barbara Starr, a senior fellow at University of Southern California told the BBC.
Earlier, US General Douglas Sims said the B1 bombers "flew a single nonstop route from the US" and were able to "gas and go" while travelling in the air.
They are now out of harm's way after about 30 minutes of strikes.
Starr said first light will soon be coming up in the region and the US will be able to assess how much damage they inflicted to inform any future strikes.
She says there was a lot of waiting and this retaliation was by no means a secret.
The "message to Tehran was very clear".
What we know so far
We have been reporting on US strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria and Iraq. Here is what we know so far: