US strikes Iraq - White House claims to have warned in advance
Photo: White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby (Getty Images)
The U.S. stated that they had informed Iraq about the strikes in advance. The strikes were a response to drone attacks on a base in Jordan, according to John Kirby, the Coordinator of Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House.
"We did inform the Iraqi government prior to the strikes," Kirby told reporters.
His comment came just minutes after the Iraqi military condemned the US strikes as a violation of sovereignty. They stated that the airstrike posed "a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences."
A spokesperson for the Iraqi Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Yahya Rasool Abdullah, emphasized that the strikes occurred when "Iraq is striving to ensure the stability of the region."
Background
On January 28, drones attacked the US military base "Camp 22" in Jordan. According to the Pentagon, over 40 American soldiers were injured, and three military personnel lost their lives in this attack.
The US Department of Defense noted that the group "Kataib Hezbollah," allegedly supported by Iran, was preliminarily linked to the attack.
On the evening of February 2, the US military conducted strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. The strikes lasted approximately 30 minutes and targeted three locations in Iraq and four in Syria.
President Joe Biden announced the commencement of a military operation in the Middle East in response to the recent attack on the base in Jordan.
