The United States military carried out a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq on Tuesday that killed Wisam Mohammad al-Saedi, a commander of the Iranian-backed militant group Kataib Hezbollah. The U.S. Central Command said al-Saedi was responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks against American forces in the Middle East. The drone strike comes amid nearly 170 attacks against U.S. forces in the region since mid-October, including one attack that killed 3 U.S. service members and wounded dozens more in northern Jordan last week.
In response to the attacks, the U.S. conducted a series of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Friday targeting Iranian-backed militias responsible for the attacks. The strikes hit three locations in Iraq and four in Syria, destroying more than 80 targets associated with the militias. However, Iraqi officials have voiced anger over the strikes, summoning the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Baghdad to protest. They charged that some of the U.S. strikes hit elements of Iraq’s security forces. The U.S. State Department said Iraq was not given warning but the strikes should not have come as a surprise.
The Pentagon says the U.S. has no plans for a long-term military campaign against the militias in Iraq and Syria, but noted its response to the killing of U.S. service members was “not complete.” The U.S. has about 2,500 troops in Iraq focused on combatting ISIS remnants. Talks are underway to eventually reduce the U.S. presence, but the process has been complicated by the recent attacks.
Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired six anti-ship missiles from Houthi-controlled areas into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday. One missile caused minor damage to a Greek cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden while another was shot down by U.S. forces. Three more landed harmlessly in the Red Sea near a British cargo ship. The Houthis say the attacks are in solidarity with Gaza and vow to continue them despite U.S. and British strikes.
Finally, a U.S. intelligence report confirmed the Houthis are using Iranian missiles and drones in attacks across the region. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. said it conducted self-defense strikes against two explosive-laden Houthi drone boats that posed an imminent threat to U.S. and merchant vessels. The U.S. says it will continue to defend ships in the region from Houthi attacks.
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