US carries out airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq
CNNJan 24
Iraq: US Strikes Iran-backed Militias
The Facts
The US on Tuesday launched airstrikes on three facilities associated with Iran-sponsored militias in western Iraq, allegedly due to "escalatory attacks" on American and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.
According to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, the "necessary and proportionate" precision strikes targeted the Kataib Hezbollah militia group (the Hezbollah Brigades) and other Iran-aligned groups in Iraq.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The precision retaliatory strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria are the latest proof that the US is serious about protecting its troops and military installations in the region. It's not Washington that's playing with fire, but the Iranian regime using its proxy forces to wage a hybrid war against the US and Israel that threatens to plunge the entire region into chaos. US troops were sent to Iraq at the request of Baghdad to help fight the Islamic State group, and the US will not hesitate to defend itself against any aggressive forces in the event of further attacks.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US attacks in Iraq and Syria underscore the weakness, rather than the strength, of the US military as it's unable to prevent the Axis of Resistance's retaliatory strikes. Moreover, Washington's pointless military actions only address the symptoms and not the cause of escalation, which lies in Israel's catastrophic war against Gaza's population. Add to this that the US occupation forces are illegally in Syria and are officially no longer welcome in Iraq. The resistance will thus continue until the US and the Israeli regime opt for peace over domination and violence.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that the US and Iran will be primary actors on opposite sides of war before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.