Geoff: Welcome to the newshour.
The U.S. Has started a series of
military strikes against Iranian
backed militia in Syria and
Iraq.
Amna: The bombing is in
retaliation of a bombing last
week and that killed three
American soldiers and wounded
dozens others in Jordan.
Nick schifrin has been reporting
on these fast-moving
developments and is here now.
What is the latest?
Nick: The U.S. Military says it
used 125 munitions on more than
85 targets across seven
locations in Iraq and Syria.
The targets included command and
control intelligence centers, as
well as storage facilities with
missiles, rockets, drones these
groups have been using to target
U.S. Soldiers.
John Kirby said just a few
minutes ago these targets were
specifically connected to a tax
to U.S. Troops in the region.
There have been more than 160
attacks on U.S. Troops across
Iraq and Syria, including the
one this weekend that killed
three U.S. Soldiers.
But the targets tonight went
further than any other U.S.
Strike.
The map is the attacks that
these proxy groups have launched
against U.S. Troops.
What was significant about
tonight's strikes is the targets
went beyond these proxy groups.
They included the quds force,
part of the revolutionary guard
corps that sponsors these groups
that the U.S. Says provides
weapons, intelligence, and
training to these groups.
What is important as this is the
first time that the U.S. Have
attacked Iranians.
These are Iranians, Iranian
weapons, Iranian sites.
They are connected to the proxy
groups, but they are not the
Iraqis and Syrians pushing the
button, they are Iranians.
This is the first time we have
seen that.
Also significant, the U.S. Flew
b-1 bombers from the united
States in order to attack Iraq
and Syria, also something we
have not seen.
A senior defense official said
strategically it is a sign to
Iran, a reminder that the U.S.
Has the ability to fly these
bombers, as well as the fact
that the bombers bring heavier
bombs to hit the underground
facilities that the U.S. Wants
to hit, although Kirby on the
record just now denied they were
trying to send any message to
Iran tonight.
Officials tonight reiterate
something we have heard from
U.S. Officials in the past, that
this is the "First tier of a
multitier response."
As president Biden put it today,
our response began today.
It will continue at times and
places of our choosing.
The day began with a reminder
for the commander-in-chief about
the loss that led to tonight's
strikes.
It is one of the military's most
solemn rituals.
At Dover airbase in
Delaware, the commander-in-chief
paid respect to the soldiers who
sacrifice was ultimate.
Three caskets holding William
Roberts, who today received a
posthumous promotion, and
sergeants Kennedy Sanders and
Breanna Muffet, all three from a
base in Georgia.
They were killed last weekend in
their beds in tower 22 in Jordan
by a drone the U.S. Officials
believe was Iranian.
Iranians military showcased some
of its attack drones last week.
The group the U.S. Says fired it
is part of the pro Iranian proxy
umbrella group Iranian
resistance of Iraq.
They indicated they did not want
to escalate and did not target
Iran's revolutionary guard corps
in Iran.
In recent days, Iran seems to
have sent signals of
de-escalation.
The un's nuclear watchdog says
Iran is slowing the speed it is
stockpiling enriched uranium,
which it would need if it
decides to produce nuclear
weapons.
Iran's supreme leader urged the
government to distance itself
from its proxy groups, including
another member of the umbrella
group, which that out
today to continue attacking U.S.
Troops.
Today before the strikes, Iran's
president reiterated that Iran
neither sought nor would shrink
from war.
>> We have said many times we
will not initiate any war.
But if anybody wants to bully,
Iran will respond fully.
Nick: U.S. Officials say they do
not have any since this moment
of casualties at these sites.
Amna: The administration
describes this as the first and
a multitier response.
What does that mean?
Nick: It is a good question.
They haven't really defined a.
But they distinguish between
different targets that the next
few days could perhaps include.
Tonight's targets were storage
facilities, as we talked about.
That is distinct from targeting
leadership.
That would be another step the
U.S. Could consider.
The U.S. Officials I talked to
insist they do not plan to
target Iran itself, but the
strikes could extend to Yemen.
The ongoing U.S. And U.K. Effort
in Yemen has tried to degrade
houthi capacities, who have
launched three dozen attacks on
U.S. Ships and international
shipping lanes.
U.S. Officials are telling me
tonight to expect some kind of
strike or concerted effort to
continue to degrade the who the
effort -- the houthi effort in
Yemen.
Administration officials I speak
to say they hope this is
calibrated.
They hope it is calibrated to
try to stop these attacks from
continuing without sparking any
kind of war with Iran.
There is a question of whether
there is any diplomatic talks
secretly between the united
States and Iran tonight.
John Kirby of the national
security council said there had
been no communication between
Tehran and Washington, but what
Washington is trying to do is
stop attacks but not go to war.
Amna: Nick schifrin with the
latebreaking news of these
strikes overseas.
Thank you so much.
♪♪