Nearly a week following a drone strike that claimed the lives of three US soldiers in Jordan last Sunday, retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militias were initiated on Friday.
Anticipation for these strikes had been building for several days. During this period, US President Joe Biden’s administration faced inquiries and criticism from Republicans regarding the timing and robustness of the response.
Foreign policy experts, however, believed that this approach allowed Iran to withdraw personnel, potentially averting a broader conflict between the US and Iran.
Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, stated, “This would allow them to degrade the capacity of these Iranian-backed militias to attack US forces but not escalate.”
US defense and security officials also cited weather conditions as a hindrance to earlier retaliation, with Friday offering the most favorable conditions for launching the strikes.