US approves strikes against Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria, CBS News reports
PHOTO CAPTION: Representational photo — A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle takes off just after sunset at from undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Dec. 20, 2020. (Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jonathan Young via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
(Reuters) -U.S. plans have been approved for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities, CBS News reported on Thursday, citing American officials.
The report follows days of conjecture about how Washington plans to retaliate after three U.S. service members were killed on Saturday by a drone strike in Jordan, the first U.S. deaths in an escalation of violence across Middle East flashpoints since Israel's war in Gaza began in October.
President Joe Biden, under pressure to take firm action, has said he has decided how to respond, but has not publicly revealed the plans.
The CBS report quoted U.S. officials as saying weather was a factor in the timing of the planned strikes, as Washington prefers to carry out strikes when visibility is good over its targets to safeguard against hitting civilians.
Washington has said the attack on its troops on Saturday in Jordan near the Syrian border bore the "footprints" of Ketaib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia based in neighbouring Iraq. That group said on Wednesday it was suspending military action against U.S. forces to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government.
Four U.S. officials told Reuters the drone used in the attack was believed to have been made in Iran.
Violence has erupted in several Middle East countries where Iran's "axis of resistance" of allied armed groups operate, since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas militants on Oct. 7.
This week has seen an acceleration of diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, even as fighting there has intensified as Israeli troops battle to capture the main city in the south of the enclave, Khan Younis.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Doha, Paul Grant in Washington, Tala Ramadan and Jana Choukeir in Dubai, Ari Rabinovitch in JerusalemWriting by Peter Graff, Editing by William Maclean)
