US attacks Iranian backed militant groups

The United States military carried out airstrikes in Eastern Syria on various infrastructure used by Iranian backed militia, including Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS). The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that approximately seventeen pro-Iran fighters were killed. A Pentagon spokesman said that the strikes were in retaliation to recent attacks on US troop locations in Iraq, and to on-going threats against personnel. He described the US response as “proportionate,” co-ordinated with diplomatic measures and undertaken with consultation from coalition partners. These attacks also provided an obstacle to the Biden administration as it was considering resumed negotiations with Tehran over its alleged nuclear weapons program.