US launched air strikes on Iranian targets

US launches air strikes in response to attack that killed troops in Jordan. According to Al Jazeera, It's military struck more than 85 Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria. It killed 18 in Syria. 

It just took 30 minutes to complete the operation, claims White House. Last Sunday a severe drone attack was carried out on US military base in Jordan near Syrian border. 

Three US soldiers were killed and 41 injured in the attack. A group named Islamic Resistance claimed the responsibility for the attack. 

Without any delay Washington blamed an Iran-backed armed group for the attack. In response, the United States approved a series of attacks on Iran's facilities in Syria and Iraq. 

Although they didn't make clear when the attack would start, several US officials said that the attack would be carried out for several days. This will depend on weather conditions and then the air strikes launched on Friday. 

'At my direction, US military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack US forces,' US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Friday, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

'Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,' he added.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its military forces struck more than 85 targets in the two countries 'with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from the United States'.

'The air strikes employed more than 125 precision munitions,' it added in a statement.

CENTCOM said the facilities that were struck included command and control operations centres, intelligence centres, weapons storage sites and other facilities connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship and arming of regional groups.

Read more: Iran-US on the brink of war: The Economist