US approves multi-day strikes against Iran-linked targets in Iraq, Syria: Report

The United States has approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities, CBS News reported on Thursday, citing US officials.

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he had made up his mind on how to respond to a drone attack in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border this week that killed three US service members and wounded more than 40. The US blamed the drone attack on Iran-backed militants.

Biden’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said on Monday the US response “could be multi-leveled, come in stages, and be sustained over time.”

In its report, CBS did not provide details on what a US approval meant in terms of a timeline for the strikes.

The drone attack was the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Gaza war erupted in October, and marked an escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

US officials have weighed how to punish Iran-backed militias without triggering a wider war.

Several Iran-backed militant groups in the region have initiated attacks against US and Israel-affiliated entities to protest Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in retaliation to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, which Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza since then has killed over 26,000 people, mostly women and children.