The United States has launched airstrikes on targets in Iraq and Syria, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a series of larger-scale strikes on Iranian-backed militias. These militias have been responsible for attacks on US troops in the Middle East, as reported by two US officials.

The retaliatory strikes were prompted by a drone attack carried out by Iran-backed militants on a US military outpost in Jordan last Sunday. This attack resulted in the tragic deaths of three US service members and left over 40 others wounded. The strikes followed closely after President Joe Biden attended a dignified transfer and met with the families of the soldiers killed in Jordan.

Officials have indicated that these strikes are likely to carry more weight than previous attacks on Iranian-backed militias in recent weeks, which had mainly targeted weapons storage or training facilities. However, the administration is treading carefully, aiming to deter and prevent further attacks while avoiding the outbreak of a full-scale conflict with Iran in a region already unsettled by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Biden administration has hinted at the possibility of additional actions in the days ahead. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the US response would be "multi-tiered." "We have the ability to respond a number of times, depending on the situation," - he mentioned at a news conference at the Pentagon. "They have a lot of capability. I have a lot more," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin added, referring to the Iranian-backed militias.